PGA Tour: Second Half of the Season: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).The Masters may herald the beginning of the Golf season for most of us in Northern climes, but it is pretty much the mid-point, already!, of the 2014/15 PGA Tour season.
And this second half gets underway with one of my favourite tournaments of the year, on one of the great courses in one of the loveliest parts of the (resort) world, Hilton Head Island.

2).What did we learn last week?
Above all that Jordan Spieth is the absolute real thing. Despite pulling a "Tiger" and finishing strong on Thursday and stretching his lead before half the field knew what day it was on Friday morning, the simple fact is that Spieth played as if he'd been there/done that all his life. Well done to him.

3).Other pluses for the week:
*Phil still has it, when he wants it enough - a career grand slam of Major second places apparently, his 11th Major runner up effort.
*Justin Rose, after apparently losing a stone due to allergic reactions, is out of hibernation and has found his form.
*Tiger may have found something in his short game, but lost it off the tee - only TWO of 14 fairways hit on Sunday. You can get away with that at Augusta National, Tiger, but not too many other places. Certainly not Quail Hollow or the TPC. Not surprisingly he's not sure where he'll play next. St.Andrews?
*Did Steve Stricker prove that "reps" are overrated? Playing his first competitive golf since finishing 7th at the PGA and subsequent surgery, he closed with a 68 and finished T28. He'll be playing next week in New Orleans and has said he'll enter "qualifying" for the US Open. If he can repeat his Sunday form next week and at happy hunting grounds like Colonial and Memorial, he won't have to.
*Better Major form from Casey & Poulter, both of whom clinched an early exemption for next year's Masters, and are assured now of places in the "Barclays". (Poulter reportedly won't be at Wentworth and perhaps there's a sense here that he recognizes his PGA Tour career is somewhat finite and, so far at least, he hasn't got close to making the most of it.)

4).Minuses include:
*Poor efforts from recent Champs Adam Scott, Bubba and Schwartzel. Not clear how competitive either Scott or Schwartzel will be this year.
*And dismal performances from Donald, McDowell and Westwood. Donald is not in the US Open or Open Championship yet. Hilton Head has always been a fave of his but, if he flops this week, it's difficult to see where he'll recover lost ground.
*US Press are falling over themselves to treat Spieth as their new golfing messiah, even the normally staid Wall Street Journal gushed that Spieth "single-handedly shook the sport out of its post-Tiger Woods doldrums". "Nothing against McIlroy . . . " Really? And that's not the same guy who said that watching Kaymer is like watching a "funeral", the place is full of 'em.
*The Masters & CBS coverage . . . . . . .

5).How much longer can Augusta National and CBS expect to get away with 1990-era broadcasting "values"? Compared to broadcasts we receive routinely on run-of-the-mill events, we have:
*No overhead shots. (We still don't know how Tiger's ball migrated from the junk into the middle of the 13th fairway in Saturday's 3rd Round.)
*No on-course reporters - and no tweeting from journos following the play.
*A geriatric commentary team who will drink the Augusta National "kool aid" so long as they get a return gig for next year. Was it Feherty or Baker Finch who, on seeing a piece of grass, rhapsodised about the superior "turf management"? Come on, "a traditional unlike any other" is right.
*And, why did Augusta leave the course so soft last week?

6).Moving on. Quickly.
Monday, April 20th is the deadline for owgr qualification for the WGC:MatchPlay. The top 64 qualify but Luke Donald has already said he has a prior engagement and Tim Clark is unlikely to play if he had to miss The Masters and Hilton Head. And what is Marc Leishman's status? Hopefully his good lady is recovering but, if not, you'd imagine he might be missing too. Possibly one or two others.

7).And so to Hilton Head, and the "RBC Heritage", played at the always strategic Harbour Town Golf Links - nothing linksy about it, 16 holes played through the trees, just two with sea views. The fairways are tight, the greens are the smallest on Tour and overhanging tree branches make the correct landing area even tighter. This is the start of the Tour's Pete Dye Swing, closely followed by New Orleans and the TPC next month so well worth noting who does well, they'll probably continue that form.

8).The field here traditionally includes overseas golfers taking a busman's holiday following the rigours of Augusta. In addition to Tour members, this week welcomes Grace, Jaidee, Lahiri and Luiten . . . . . and Marcel Siem.

9).McDowell has won here and Luke Donald has had his chances, lots of them. Two third place finishes, three runners up in the past six years. But just as Lukey is short and crooked off the tee, he's now increasingly crooked with his putter. A few weeks ago he enjoyed a Top Ten finish at Honda, but nothing but futility since then. If he doesn't snap out of it at Harbour Town, how does he resurrect his season? Not sure I know. Hope he does.

10).A calculation in this morning's newspaper suggested Jordan Spieth is in the middle of a 14 tournaments in 18 weeks. He lost his game a little towards the end of last summer, nothing better than T7 after Kaymer showed him the way to go home at The Players. Meanwhile, he's top of the class in everything but World Number One (pl tell Wall Street Journal). Spieth: Leading:
*FedEx Points
*Official Money List
*PGA Championship Points
*US Presidents Cup Team points (followed by Walker, Bubba, Reed, Dustin, Holmes, Kuchar, Moore, Kirk, Zach.
*US Ryder Cup Team points (followed by Dustin, Mickelson, Holmes and Watson, Haas, Hoffman, Zach).
*And, until someone else knocks him off his perch, Number One in America's hearts.

Great write up as usual Kwini. In addition to your comments in point 5, I find it ridiculous that Augusta National won't allow full live broadcast to begin until 8pm UK time. I want to be watching every shot at the Majors, not just run of the mill tour event timings for the coverage. Is it the same limited coverage in the US?

On Spieth

It is easy to forget now that he has romped to a major win, but this time last week I don't think I was alone in thinking he may be a little fragile, or lack the extra firepower when he really needs it on a sunday.  This may still be the case?  He has floated around the top on many a sunday but until the masters had only converted twice on the PGAT.  It may seem pointless now to raise these questions but I think we did agree yesterday that it is getting ever harder to beat the field, and weakness on a Sunday doesn't exactly improve your chances.

Just to pile on the negativity - and why not, the golf world is currently full of Spieth hyperbolic if you wish to read that sort of thing - is there anything about Spieth that suggests he will fair better than other recent young US major champs like keegan, Simpson and Dufner, who all had pretty hot spells before fading away?



English golfers

You mention the poor form of Donald and Westwood, and this relates to something I have noticed of late.  There is a missing generation of top class English golfers.  If you look at the ages of the english players in the top 200, I think only rose is in the 30-35 age group, which is usually a golfers prime years.  It is true that Westwood and Donald are not really performing at the moment, but is there undue attention on them as the next generation is missing a top 10 talent?  Unless someone like Willet turns out to be a major contender (no sign that he will be) there could be a long stretch (possibly ten years) with no English contention in the majors.




"And, why did Augusta leave the course so soft last week?"

Not only were the greens soft but the course was very forgiving because the conditioning nullified a lot of the strategy around the greens.  Players were able to fire at parts of the greens not usually available due to the harsh penalties for not pulling of the perfect shot.  Last week we saw numerous balls get caught in the fringe, or balls stay in favorable parts of the green.  Whereas in previous years balls would roll into positions that required a much more skillful recovery shot.

Greetings Caesar!
Et tu America?
Yes! Coverage starts at 8.00 p.m. BST on Saturday, 7.00 p.m. BST on Sunday.

American viewers (and press) just as frustrated as those elsewhere, tho' arguably more prepared to accept the status quo.

Cheers Kwini - nice one

I note that Rory's Masters performance doesn't appear in the plus or minus section - I tend to agree. His talent level means he could have done better, his current form though meant he could have done worse.

Looking forward to seeing Hilton Head again - I'll watch right up until just before they award the hideous jacket, then I'll switch off to prevent damage to my TV screen and eyes.

bob

I noted somewhere else that rory beat spieth for rounds 2-4 and over the weekend. It means nothing other than he is actually playing quite well at the moment.

Hi Mac,
Spieth: Whichever way you look at it, two squeaky wins, a tour de force in Sydney and a Major, by the age of 21 is pretty swift.
Easy to denigrate those two Tour wins but nothing remotely fragile about his performance at Augusta.

Several English youngsters in the owgr Top 100, but agree none remotely close to World class, although Willett has had rotten luck with injuries and still seems to be improving.


Cheers Bob
Yup, Rory omitted deliberately. But I wonder if he feels as jacked up about The Masters falderol as most others are? I've a feeling perhaps not, though it would be commercially dangerous to say it. (But he might think it!)

I agree Mac - but I've seen a bit of fragility (in distance control and putting) in McIlroy compared to mid to end of last season. I actually feared that the added Grand Slam pressure would turn his Masters into a car crash and with 9 holes to go on Friday he was missing the cut. He redeemed himself for sure over the weekend without really contending the way he should be able to.

After nine holes, Luke Donald's "strokes gained putting" is -3.25. Unimaginable.

Great write-up as per usual Kwini.

Donald's putting is that far off?? Not that long ago, he couldn't miss. How things change...

Looks like Hoffman, Charley is continuing the decent run of form so far...

Damned by faint praise or boosted by the fact that some are looking for reasons Spieth can't continue the upward trend?

It was ever thus. Any player has to prove they are the real deal always facing the questions as to whether it's a flash in the pan or the path to immortality.

Then, when that very same player kicks over whatever subjective criteria is used for the initial real deal question they don't seem to get any time simply being bloody good before the next round of "ah, but Palmer had done this, Player did that, Phil moved this way can (say) Spieth emulate that?" before possibly ticking over to the "Watson (T!) had seen this, Woods had already done that and Nicklaus had stopped buying those T-Shirts by this time" category.

Guess it's why we love it and it acts as a motivation to keep going and going until the inevitable "he's lost it, why does he insist on tw@tting everything, can he come back from this?" stage.

For this week (for this week, read last week already!) in terms of Spieth, he's got it. Real deal. All 4 rounds he did what he could combined with what he had to do. Close it out, take the trophy and dress up like a club captain, and let us all focus on the banter.

Roller, Spieth is being hailed as the next great American player which is a rather big claim, and I tend to think big claims require more evidence. At the moment he has proved to be a talented player capable of thrashing a good field. So clearly I am not questioning his current form but rather the claim made almost unanimously by the US media at least, that he will be a player of some historical note.

At the moment do you predict he will have the career of even a Furyk or a Kenny Perry level of player?

Well he already has a better "next big thing" claim than Fowler ever did.

Mac,
Given his achievements already, and he's already snaffled as many Majors as Furyk and Perry combined, why shouldn't he be a great American golfer?
He's already put substance first, style later, unlike Fowler who has got the whole thing bassackwards.

Speith - Celebrate his accomplishments now, but only time will tell if he can contend/win the big tournaments going forward. I would bet on him.

Tiger was the bigger surprise for me this past week.

Excellent write up Kwin.

The Zurich New Orleans Open field has benefitted from being played the week prior to the MatchPlay. Tourists committed to play include:
Donaldson, Dubuisson, Gallacher, Grace and Wiesberger, plus Molinari and Rose among others.

Cheers kwini, excellent stuff. And good comments by the rest of you.
Spieth does seem older than he is, both in appearance and composure. His playing style and the way he handles himself indicate he's the real deal.

In comparison, the likes of Dufner, Keegan and Webbb seem like goofballs (which they probably are as well) so comparing Spieth with those is unfair. I would rather compare him to Kaymer, a bit boring to watch but robotic and mercyless. (Let's just not hope Spieth goes into a similar slump Kaymer did a few years ago...)

kwinigolfer wrote:The Zurich New Orleans Open field has benefitted from being played the week prior to the MatchPlay. Tourists committed to play include:
Donaldson, Dubuisson, Gallacher, Grace and Wiesberger, plus Molinari and Rose among others.

Rose has played New Orleans the last two years. I think he has some sort of deal with Zurich.

I have heard some rumors that Woods is playing the Players, Quail Hollow and Memorial.

pedro, Thanks,
Say what you like about Dufner but his performance at Oak Hill was every bit as impressive as Spieth's last week - he may very well be a goofball but his best is pretty bl00dy good! Presumably suffering from separation anxiety at the moment. And who wouldn't be?

Can only imagine what super_'s observations about Spieth's Tigerish hairline will be like!


Hi GPB,
Yup, just wanted to check Rose is in the Zurich field, sure that's right about affiliation w/Zurich.
No idea about Woods, but QH & TPC are unforgiving if you don't know where your tee-ball is going.

Molinari alert: He's tweeting that his wrist injury will force him out of New Orleans next week, and he'll be out until Espana in four weeks' time.
Wonder if he'd change his mind if he got into the MatchPlay?

Change of fortunes for McDool . . . . . . . more than high time he showed some form.

Unless there are about 5-6 more WD's, I think there is little chance Franny qualifies for the Match play.  He is already outside the bubble and I believe Ilonen and Fleetwood are going to pass by attrition.

18 straight pars for Furyk today, and he extends his Tour-leading accumulation of bogey-free rounds.

And Matt Every shot five-under-par 66 (six birds) despite only hitting seven greens in regulation.

GPB,
Bad timing for Molinari, befalling a common fate for double-dippers.

Mac - my post wasn't (intended) as a dig at your observations this time, just a comment on the attitude all observers of players seem to have (and yes one of which I am also guilty!).

As an aside what is your opinion on the tick points for considering someone to be a valid thought as "the next big thing" and then at what point do you think that person (whoever, not just Spieth) could justifiably be considered as being an actual big thing?

My personal view is, a Major at 21 (in this case) justifies hype about being "the next big thing" (bearing in mind the excellent players that don't ever bag one). An actual big thing? I'd say 3 but arguably 2. A great - 5/6 and a legend the grand slam. Really don't know how many "tour" wins would be required in accompaniment, I personally don't get to watch them and so am (probably unfairly) ambivalent about achievement outside the big 4, but recognise that any big thing should be expected to be a multiple winner, I just have no idea how many.

What would I consider to be a valid prediction of someone being the next big thing?

It often seems like a pointless discussion as we have seen the players hailed as the next big thing fail at all levels. Michelle wie for example took years to recover from very early hype and Ty Tryon crashed and burned. Where is Patrick Cantlay?

As mentioned a more recent and somewhat more realistic prediction was that Fowler would be the new best american, and he has turned out to be good be not great. Even someone like Keegs who won a major seems to be on a pretty big slide.

Chris Wood and Tom Lewis are some local examples of players predicted of big things struggling to match expectations.

I will put an end to this rambling post by saying that I agree, Spieth is a better candidate than most as he has already achieved a high status in the game, so the prediction for him isn't can he win a major or get into the OWGR top 5, but how long can he maintain this level of performance.

Speith will be fine as long as he doesn't start tinkering with his swing and trying to get more distance.

Spieth doesn't need more distance, he's 63rd this year in driving distance, 34th in total driving and 5th in the tee-to-green stat.

If he makes just average strength gain as he matures, he'll be up in the top 40 for distance, probably better.
Don't go the Matteo/Luke Donald route!

Mac,
You choose for your comparisons players that either never really did anything, or suffered chronic injuries (Cantlay & Wood). Good for your argument but hopeless for debate.

Didn't know what happened to Cantlay, and hence the question mark. Even if you do not agree with my choice of examples will you agree that the rate of next great thing predictions to actually being the next great thing is pretty poor? And as I pointed out - i assume you don't bother to read all my posts - Spieth is clearly in a different situation to many players who have been crowned as greats by the media before their careers have even had time to develop.


I agree with you that Spieth as no length issues. It was clear that he was matching the distance of Rose and the other players he played with over the masters week.

Mac

Spieth would seem to be a 'big thing'. He's not even 22, he's won multiple PGA events, thrashed the Aussie Open field and won a Masters. Already. He doesn't come across as someone overly enamoured of the trappings of winning, enjoys playing and seems to have some steel in his nature.
Assuming he doesn't go for some dumb swing re-modelling and doesn't pick up a nasty, long-term injury, I'd expect him to continue steadily accumulating victories. We'll have to look again in 20 years or so to decide whether he really was a 'big thing'.
I don't think anyone was predicting Earth-shattering things from either Wood or Lewis. Except maybe some British press perhaps? Either or both could still come good long-term but nothing either has done early doors, in contrast to Spieth, has suggested they might have a future at the same level as him.

navyblueshorts wrote: We'll have to look again in 20 years or so to decide whether he really was a 'big thing'.

I'm just hoping to still be around in 20 years time to decide....

kwinigolfer wrote:Spieth doesn't need more distance, he's 63rd this year in driving distance, 34th in total driving and 5th in the tee-to-green stat.

If he makes just average strength gain as he matures, he'll be up in the top 40 for distance, probably better.
Don't go the Matteo/Luke Donald route!

That's what I was meaning. His stats are good enough and, as I have said many times, it's what you do with your second shot and how close you get it to the pin (as well as your putting) which really counts. Rory can bomb it 350 yards but his irons are often never close enough to the pin these days to give his somewhat average putting a chance. Speith, on the other hand, seems to get his irons closer and is putting, from what we saw at Augusta, is sound.

Mac,
I try to read posts in debates I "contribute" to; the question is do you read the responses of others?

Certainly don't think anyone saw Bradley & Simpson in the same light as they see Spieth - apart from all the admirable traits that LadyPutt describes, he's also got his head screwed on straight, his course management last week was superb.

Would say he'll have his work cut out to continue to emulate Rory's achievements at respective ages, but he's certainly on the right track. And you can't say that about another Young American since Woods.

I think the state of the course ruined what should be a terrific major. The experienced players left most (if not all) chips and putts short (especially uphill) due to the state of the greens. The look of surprise on some of those guys faces said it all for me. I think it meant Spieth could continue to play as had done with not much fear. To be honest I think the tournament was not a patch of some in recent years (as some previous player, after 3 putting from 10 feet again, threw the ball to his caddy and said 'and don't bloody clean it!').

Sorry, I was just kidding about the post reading, as you often accuse me of not reading your blog.

I hope you are not suggesting I don't contribute to debates.

I doubt simpson was thought of as highly as a Fowler or Keegan, who were and are still pretty highly thought of. But lets agree that Speith looks better than everyone bar McIlroy in his age group.



Returning to the topic of English golfers you mentioned that there are "several english youngsters in the top 100" in response to my argument that English golf faces a dire stretch of results in the coming years. I appreciate you acknowledged they are not as good as the current crop.

The English golfers in the top 100 are;

Rose
Poulter
Westwood
Casey
Willett
Donald
Sullivan
Fleetwood
Fisher

Within the next two seasons Poulter, Donald, Westwood and even Casey may be at the point where there are no longer competitive enough for the top 100.


Are English golf fans not a little worried that in the near future you will have no one to follow in the majors and other big events other than Rose?

McLaren wrote:

Within the next two seasons Poulter, Donald, Westwood and even Casey may be at the point where there are no longer competitive enough for the top 100.


Are English golf fans not a little worried that in the near future you will have no one to follow in the majors and other big events other than Rose?

Thought we'd done this one to death recently. I'd say while we'd all probably quite like our own countrymen to win a major, it's not the end of the world if they don't. I'd be a little sad when there aren't the likes of Westwood, Donald and Poults to cheer on in the Majors, but wouldn't lose sleep over it if they weren't. I still have my favourites to follow no matter what their nationality is - such as Spieth.

Unlikely though it may look now, I'd still love to see Westwood, Donald or Poults win a Major - but that feeling would be largely because I feel they've deserved one, and less so their nationality

BTW the "real deal" is currenttly -4 after 9. A nice little 65-66 would certainly bring him right back into this event

MontysMerkin wrote:I think the state of the course ruined what should be a terrific major. The experienced players left most (if not all) chips and putts short (especially uphill) due to the state of the greens. The look of surprise on some of those guys faces said it all for me. I think it meant Spieth could continue to play as had done with not much fear. To be honest I think the tournament was not a patch of some in recent years (as some previous player, after 3 putting from 10 feet again, threw the ball to his caddy and said 'and don't bloody clean it!').

I don't buy that. Are you suggesting someone else would have won if the greens were quicker? These are pros, many of whom turned up on Monday(?) and put plenty of practice in on the greens. Could they not get the pace by the time they're on the course for real??? Excuses, excuses...
Some of the run-offs were slower (front of 15 for example) but I'm not sure that wasn't a good thing. Real difference was how firm the greens were for approach shots and everyone said they were a little softer than usual but I'm not sure how that favoured Spieth over the chasing pack.

McLaren wrote:Sorry, I was just kidding about the post reading, as you often accuse me of not reading your blog.  

I hope you are not suggesting I don't contribute to debates.  

I doubt simpson was thought of as highly as a Fowler or Keegan, who were and are still pretty highly thought of.  But lets agree that Speith looks better than everyone bar McIlroy in his age group.



Returning to the topic of English golfers you mentioned that there are "several english youngsters in the top 100" in response to my argument that English golf faces a dire stretch of results in the coming years.  I appreciate you acknowledged they are not as good as the current crop.

The English golfers in the top 100 are;

Rose
Poulter
Westwood
Casey
Willett
Donald
Sullivan
Fleetwood
Fisher

Within the next two seasons Poulter, Donald, Westwood and even Casey may be at the point where there are no longer competitive enough for the top 100.


Are English golf fans not a little worried that in the near future you will have no one to follow in the majors and other big events other than Rose?

How old's Fleetwood? 23? 24? Interested in how he does - looks to have a very sound swing to me.

Spieth has been reading Mac's Doubting Thomas rhetoric, now -7 for the day after 14 holes; playing mate Kuchar is -6, while Top Five makes up the threesome, albeit in arrears and is struggling to make the cut.


Brian Davis looks like he'll need strong afternoon winds to save his tournament, much more likely to miss the cut by one.
He'll be about 130th in the FedEx points list going in to next week, not good enough to keep his card at this pace.

-9! Beware the hot, confident golfer.

Looks like Lukey will need to go red today to at least make the cut. Keep it in the short grass Luke.

Incredible stuff from Spieth! It would have been so easy to miss the cut after the first round and the fact he is probably running on fumes!

A quick 62 from Mr.Spieth. Very average stat's but has that happy knack of getting the ball into the hole.


navy,
Mac's first effort was no young Englishmen in the top 200, goalposts moved.

Regardless of whether the softness of the course helped anyone specifically, the scoring suggests it made it more forgiving. And Woods reckoned eyebrows "in the Champions Locker Room" were raised at AGNC's set-up, keeping the entire course softer than in previous years.
The point remains that, if Spieth was able to adapt his game, then surely more experienced players should have done more quickly.

Give me "average stat's" any day then!

Yes, well, that's the genius isn't it? Maximize your good points, minimize your mistakes.
Rickie Fowler the exact opposite, always throws in a big number.

Strong leaderboard at Harbour Town.


Sr,
Good news on the OD website for a Proctor alum . . . . . . (basketball emoticon).

Kwin - Thanks for the heads up ... just saw it and well done!

kwinigolfer wrote:A quick 62 from Mr.Spieth. Very average stat's but has that happy knack of getting the ball into the hole.

Shouldn't have happened. The greens must be very soft, very hard (or something else)....

Kwini

I was not trying to move any goalposts, just didn't have the data to hand.

Here are the English golfers in the top 200 and their age;

OWGR Name age

11 Justin Rose 34
30 Lee Westwood 41
31 Ian Poulter 39
44 Paul Casey 37
51 Danny Willett 27
52 Luke Donald 37
56 Andy Sullivan 28
68 Tommy Fleetwood 24
72 Ross Fisher 34
124 Andrew Johnston 26
125 Eddie Pepperell 24
151 Tyrrell Hatton 23
154 David Howell 39
158 Chris Wood 27
166 Simon Dyson 37
196 David Horsey 29

I am not sure having looked over those in the top 200 where the next top English golfer will come from. Maybe Fitzpatrick?

Does anyone else think it is odd that there are no golfers in the age range between Sullivan at 28 and Rose at 34. That gap is where I made the claim of a missing generation of English golfers.



PS, at least spieth is in my fantasy team.

Sterne is continues to Whiffy on the PGATour in the current season.

8 tournaments played and 8 missed cuts.

Hope he is formulating a backup plan because at this rate he won't even qualify for the WTF tournaments.

Now, Mac! That's a good question. Hopefully Willett and Wood can get healthy and stay healthy.

Sullivan COULD be good and hopefully Tommy Fleetwood will be. But Horsey hasn't trained on and Tyrrell Hatton looks like he needs to relax a bit. Don't know anything about Johnston but Pepperell looks to have some promise.
Still waiting for Ollie Fisher to kick on. And then there's the enigma of Nick Dougherty who looks to have thrown the towel in.
Oliver Wilson has been a disappointment, one magical week excepted.

The ability is there, but is the ambition? No idea.

Yup, dismal from Sterne, but he has two other Tours for Plan B and Plan C.

The other Molinari got DQed in China because his caddie hitched a ride on a golf cart between the 9th and 10th holes.

https://twitter.com/DodoMolinari/status/588844767779368961

GPB wrote:The other Molinari got DQed in China because his caddie hitched a ride on a golf cart between the 9th and 10th holes.

https://twitter.com/DodoMolinari/status/588844767779368961

Another lame rule.