Sportsmanship and The Rules of #Golf

Should there be a compromise between playing by The Rules of Golf and having good sportsmanship?

Controversy was recently stirred at The Solheim Cup by Team Europe's Suzann Pettersen after angrily demanding that Alison Lee be penalized after turning her back and not conceding a two to three-foot putt. Lee picked up the putt after assuming it had been given by Pettersen...but it had not and we all know never to assume.

The Rules of Golf in match play (loosely) state that, unless the putt is conceded, the ball is in play. Team USA lost the match and there were bad feelings all around where there should have been cameraderie and pats on the back on both sides regardless of the Team.

“I hope in time the U.S. team will forgive me and know that I have learned a valuable lesson,” Pettersen said.

What was that valuable lesson?

Pettersen said she was "trying my hardest for my team and put the single match and the point that could be earned ahead of sportsmanship and the game of golf itself!"

Dust-ups like this have a familiar ring to them, for example, in Scotland at the 2000 Solheim Cup, Annika Sorenstam, "charged the Americans with bad sportsmanship in an 'ugly' incident" after being told to replay a shot which she chipped in because she played out-of-turn. USGA states, "While there is no penalty for playing out of turn in match play, the opponent can immediately recall any stroke which is played out of turn and require it to be played at the proper time."

Ah, The Rules of Golf within competitive golf reared its ugly head...perhaps Golf is becoming an Impolite Game?

When playing in your weekly foursome, it's usually polite (and good etiquette) to play "ready golf" and there are concessions made without the fanfare of a "you can take that" or a nod in order to keep the course moving along but what about when there are a trophy and/or a paycheck on the line - does courtesy and sportsmanship take a back seat?

Should there be golf rules for "the rest of us?"

The following video is a joking look from Tripp and Tyler at what would happen if the average golfer would concede to a different set of rules...ENJOY and I understand if you laugh out loud.




Perhaps the heat of the moment brings out the worst in people, or, maybe assuming that the competitor is your friend during a match and will automatically make that "gimme putt" is where the problem lies.

As Pettersen aptly stated, "I am so sorry for not thinking about the bigger picture in the heat of the battle and competition."

Do you think there should be a new rule in the etiquette section allowing two-foot gimmes in competitive match-play golf?

Follow Golf4Beginners on Twitter and leave comments below on our Golf for Beginners blog.


photo: DailyRecord.uk

How do the Pros Stay Fit for #Golf?

It was once thought that professional golf was more of a game, not a sport, so there was no obligation in staying physically fit.

Today, both fans and the media agree that golf requires a level of "physical exertion and coordination" and that the athletes who participate are gifted with agility, stamina, and/or strength to attain the highest levels of accomplishment.

That being said, Golf Digest recently featured a gallery of LPGA golfer fitness photos as well as ways in which the ladies stay in shape and ready to perform on the course.

From Bosu and kettle balls to weights, this is not the LPGA of old - these golfers are serious about their workouts!

Fifth-ranking LPGA golfer, Lexi Thompson, believes in using Bosu Balls because these exercises, "help build the strength so you can swing within yourself. A lot of amateurs over-swing because they're not strong enough to stay in control."

Both Cheyenne Woods and Michelle Wie are proponents of flexibility and endurance being two key performance enhancers for men or women. Wie even goes so far as to train for twenty minutes with an elastic band around her legs. Coach David Leadbetter believes that the more resistance between upper and lower body, the longer she'll hit the ball.

Coach David Leadbetter maintains that Wie is trying to build up resistance between her lower and upper body. The more separation — or torque — between lower and upper body, the longer she’ll hit the ball.


Dave Phillips and Dr. Greg Rose of the Titleist Performance Institute both agree that women should build their lower body. "If a woman can get a really strong lower body, she can develop speed just as quick as a man."

Bernhard Langer says that fruits and vegetables keep him in prime condition, that eating the right snacks on course is essential to keeping the blood sugar elevated and that the one thing he does every day is stretch his body.

Gary Player, at seventy-nine years old, is probably one of the earliest proponents of exercise and has ten rules for a fit body. "The secret is commitment. It cannot be a fad. Even if your exercise program is small, you must make it a part of your life.


What exercises do you do just for golf? Let us know on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on our Golf for Beginners blog.

Read our previous golf blog: 5 Golf Tips for Practicing Without and Instructor


video: article.wn.com
photo: StayFitCentral.com