"An armchair official tweeted in to get Camilo DQ. What is wrong with people have they got nothing better to do?" tweeted an angry Ian Poulter after a fan spotted a rules violation on TV by Villegas and decided to say something about it.
In this world where everyone is now connected through the internet and social media, Dave Andrews decided to tweet it. The question was not whether Villegas is guilty of the infraction but whether fans should come forward or leave policing and the outcome of the game to pro golfers?
"No one likes a snitch," continued Poulter. True but also no golfer wants to lose a big paycheck and FedEx points at the end of the day...and no golfer wants to win for the wrong reasons.
Poulter made a good case on Twitter for why fans should see something, say something, "I still dont know all the rules, theres too many. More to life than eating rule books."
Yes it is difficult to remember all of the rules...there are so many (that is why golfers carry around the Rule Book) but, in this case, the ball did not come to rest as Villegas flicked dirt from its path, possibly affecting its line. Most amateur and even many beginner golfers understand to wait for a golf ball to come to rest before addressing it. The mind focuses on what it wants to and Camilo was probably thinking of his next shot. Villegas understood his infraction and graciously took his medicine learning this lesson in the process:
Rule 23-1: ''When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed.''
I wonder how many golfers realize that a hole is not complete until a golf ball drops to (and comes to rest at) the bottom of the cup?
Ian Poulter should perhaps also understand that without the avid golf fans who tune in to watch and learn about the sport from professionals (and have nothing to do?), events like the Hyundai Tournament of Champions which could not draw three out of four major winners, would probably never take place. No play day, no pay day for the golfers.
"Case closed, yes he should have been punished but it's a shame it wasn't before he signed his card," ended Poulter's tirade.
Ian Poulter (credit)
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I enjoy Poulter's outspokenness, but I think he comes off a bit whiny on this one. It's more the tour's and players' problem, not the fans' fault. Shouldn't the players be more well versed on the rules? And maybe the tour needs to come up with some better ways to address these situations.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Neil, that the players should know the rules.
ReplyDeleteFor occasions that are a bit cloudy, there are rules officials.
For the times when all else fails, we have instant replay!