New Golf Rules Strike Again As Golfer Assessed Penalty

Adam Schenk assessed with 2-stroke penalty for caddie error at Honda Classic

Adam Schenk was assessed a two-stroke penalty for a rules violation that occurred in the second round of the Honda Classic when his caddie stood behind him once he was in his stance on the 17th hole.

The penalty announced Saturday afternoon changes the bogey Schenk recorded on the par-3 17th on Friday to a triple-bogey.

Schenk finished the second round 1-over 71 with four birdies and two other bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes.

The PGA Tour released a statement Saturday announcing the decision and explaining of why Schenk was penalized for violating Rule 10.2b.

“The penalty occurred as a result of Adam’s caddie standing behind him once he took his stance, but not taking any action subsequently that would absolve him of penalty, for example backing out of his stance,” the statement read in part.

Schenk was tied for eighth place through four holes in the third round when the penalty was announced.

The PGA’s full statement on Schenk’s violation can be read below:

pic.twitter.com/yzVPZqg8J7

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) March 2, 2019

Golf’s new rules, which include the one Schenk and his caddie were judged to have violated, have been criticized by fans and players since they went into effect Jan. 1.

Justin Thomas, who finished the third round at the Honda Classic 3-under 67, came to Schenk’s defense on Twitter shortly after the infraction was announced Saturday.

In January Haotong Li became the first player penalized under the new rule regarding caddies and alignment. He was hit with a two-shot penalty at the Dubai Desert Classic when his caddie was ruled to have been standing behind him while Li was putting on the 18th green in the final round. European Tour chief Keith Pelley called the rule “grossly unfair” at the time.

One of the most well-known challengers to the new rules is Rickie Fowler, who was penalized one stroke for violating the knee-high drop rule during last week’s WGC-Mexico Championship.

A photo was taken of Fowler mocking the rule Thursday at the Honda Classic as he squat down, held the golf ball behind his back and joking asked an official if he was following the new rule correctly.

 

This is the appropriate drop form, as demonstrated by @RickieFowler @NoLayingUp @the_woke_yolk pic.twitter.com/Hjh5PvgUTm

— Ryan John Kennedy (@kennedyryanj) February 28, 2019

Source: USA TODAY Sports

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Introducing our NEW Thursday Golf League!

Take a ‘lie-detector’ test to improve your short game by Dave Pelz

BY DAVE PELZ

One of the things that separates Tour players from the rest of us is that the former are intimately familiar with their games. They know how different shots will unfold regardless of where the ball is sitting, especially around the green (where difficult lies abound). Not surprisingly, that’s where weekend players tend to cough up strokes.

There are four parts to every short-game shot. Failing in any area will almost surely lead to a poor result.

They are:

1. Judging the lie.

2. Selecting a club.

3. Predicting how the ball will react when it lands.

4. Executing the swing.

This article addresses the first — and perhaps the most important — part of the shot equation. If you can’t pull off good shots from bad lies, you’ll never reach your scoring goals.

In my opinion, the only way to develop this skill is through experience. Pros have the advantage of unlimited practice time, but you can begin to catch up with a simple three-shot experiment that I use in my schools. Its entire purpose is to open your eyes to the various backspin outcomes that can be created by the type of lie you’re facing.

For this “Backspin vs. Lie” experiment, you’ll need your lob wedge, a tee and three balls. Select a 20- to 30-yard shot around a green that forces you to carry a bunker but that provides plenty of room between the apron and the pin. Drop one ball into the rough, another into a normal fairway lie, and tee up the third so it’s about a half-inch above the grass (photo, above). The goal is to land all three shots in the same place on the green, about a third of the way from the edge to the flagstick. (Repeat any shot that misses the landing spot.)

Once you’re successful from all three lies, check the results, which should look something like what’s pictured in the photo at right. What you’ll notice is that the shot from the rough rolled out the farthest — the mass of grass that wedged its way between the ball and the clubface at impact killed most of the backspin. The shot from the fairway stopped short of the first, even though it landed in the same spot. That’s because you generated much more backspin due to the cleaner lie. And for the teed-up third ball, which had zero grass on the clubface to interfere with contact, you created max backspin and stopped the ball almost immediately after it hit the green.

Of course, you never get to tee up your wedge shots, but that’s not the point. What this exercise teaches is how lie effects spin, and that controlling spin is the trick to hitting short shots close. It’s an invaluable lesson. Try it from different distances using different wedges. The experience will turn you into a cagey vet in no time.

Source: Golf.com

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ONE DAY LEFT: Shanks Social Membership Special Ends tomorrow!

WHEN YOU PURCHASE YOUR SHANKS SOCIAL MEMBERSHIP FOR $99, GET $99 IN SHANKS CREDIT!

That’s Right! Join our Shanks Social Memberships for $99 and receive a $99 Shanks Food & Beverage Credit! 

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• Charging Privileges

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Membership Special only available until February 28.

The post ONE DAY LEFT: Shanks Social Membership Special Ends tomorrow! appeared first on Ashland Golf Club.

Get $99 Shanks Credit when you purchase your Shanks Social Membership!

WHEN YOU PURCHASE YOUR SHANKS SOCIAL MEMBERSHIP FOR $99, GET$99 IN SHANKS CREDIT!

That’s Right! Join our Shanks Social Memberships for $99 and receive a $99 Shanks Food & Beverage Credit! 

Benefits:

• 10% Discount  in Shanks
• Charging Privileges

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Membership Special only available until February 28.

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If our presidents can take time to play golf, so can you! Here’s some presidential golf statistics.

We’re keeping it fun with some presidential golf facts!

• Donald Trump
  Has won 19 club championships. Handicap Index reported to be 2.8
• John F. Kennedy
  Despite chronic back pain, averaged 80.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower
  Installed a green outside the Oval Office; member at Augusta National. Became friends with Arnold Palmer.
• Gerald R. Ford
  Despite a clumsy image, a legitimate 80s-shooter. He also played with Arnold Palmer.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt
  At 39, polio robbed him of a powerful golf swing
• George W. Bush
  His handicap reported to dip under 10, post-presidency. He gave up golf during his presidency at the start of the Iraq War.
• George H.W. Bush
  Once got his handicap down to 11. Favorite exclamation on the course was “Power outage!” when putts fell short

• Bill Clinton
  Can break 90, especially using his “Billigans”
• Barack Obama
  The lefty plays hoops and golf, more than 330 rounds during his two terms.
• Ronald Reagan
  Didn’t play often or well (best was low 90s)
• Warren G. Harding
  Struggled to break 95
• Woodrow Wilson
  Played over 1,000 Rounds in office but almost never broke 100. He even enlisted his Secret Service agents to paint his golf balls black so that he could practice in the snow.
• Richard M. Nixon
  He shot 79 once and quit the game
• Lyndon B. Johnson
  Played with senators to secure votes for the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Calvin Coolidge
  When he vacated the White House, he left his clubs behind

 

Sources: Golf Digest, Cheat Sheet

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