Every once in a while, I get on a soap box. Today is the day
Every once in a while, I get on a soap box. Today is the day. The last couple of weeks have brought out what is seriously flawed with the professional golf tours. In what other sports can some fan sitting on their couch call in and have the outcome of that contest changed because they saw something that the referees missed? It can be done in golf and no other sport.
Two weeks ago, it was Dustin Johnson and the grounding of the club in a bunker caught by a TV viewer, who phoned it to the PGA. This past weekend, LPGA star (and old teammate of mine) Juli Inkster was disqualified as she put a weighted doughnut on her club and swung it to stay loose during a 30-minute delay during her round. This, too, was caught by a fan.
I am not advocating breaking the rules. But if the rules infraction is not called by the professional themselves, a fellow competitor or rules official I don’t think it should be called at all. Tour professionals are as honest as the day is long. If they break a rule (that they have knowledge of) they will penalize themselves. We have all seen countless missed calls on TV by umpires or refs; do we call the networks to have the play overturned?
Why don’t we just go ahead and take the Lombardi Trophy away from the Pittsburgh Steelers because, after further review, the immaculate reception by Franco Harris should be disallowed because the ball hit the ground.
I am starting a campaign to see what can be done about disallowing these “call-in” rules officials. I don’t know where it will go. But I do know that this allowance makes the professional golf tours look stupid.
