Undercover Tour Pro: Cheaters Are Hard To Catch, But We Know Who They Are

[Weirfan]

Lots of golfers over the years have been accused of shenanigans , rules massaging , "cheating" most notably, Seve, Tiger, Patrick Reed.....it happens in every sport .....I'm sure it happens in golf more than we know so not surprising there are "known offenders"

[Bagger Vance]

Here's a good example with Kenny Perry, is this improving your lie? I am not sure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKsioAyR9Fs

[sikoram]

And what's with grinding your feet in the bunker in order to reach the bunker liner when you have a plugged lie. I watched this morning's European tour event and a player wriggled his feet down to make contact with the liner and was given relief from the liner. His ball was plugged in the bunker. The rulie gave him relief as he should but.... The announcers made comment that he used the rules to his advantage. My emphasis is on the word USED. Branden Grace was slagged by Euro Tour members in an earlier tournament for a similar action where he received relief. Can a decision on the rule be near?

[TeetoGrnr]

Here's a good example with Kenny Perry, is this improving your lie? I am not sure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKsioAyR9Fs

That is cheating in my opinion..it's more or less exactly what I recall seeing with Jon Rahm where the player is pressing/sliding the sole of their club on the rough behind to ball. In my opinion, it's flattening the amount of grass that can get in between the clubface and the ball on the shot.

There may be rules on this but I don't think I've ever seen a penalty assessed on this.

[nomullies]

The repeated pressing of the club should be subject to some sort of rule I think. I thought Jon Rahm did this repeatedly at the US Open after one of his wayward drives. They should outlaw the "pressing" of the club in the rough. Hovering/touching slightly is OK but when I see a player pressing the grass down, I see cheating.

Interesting Rahm was questioned about his marking of a ball at the Irish Open he just won. The official said while he did not mark it properly it wasn't enough to be penalized. I did think he pulled a Lexi. No big deal for us hackers but he has to know the rule, whether he was worried about being in the other's guy's line or not.

[sdavis33]

In the Kenny Perry video, there is a great case for him improving his lie. When he first gets to the ball you can barely see it and by the time he is done, you can see more than 1/2 of it. If that's legal then I need to change my thinking on how to play shots out of the rough

[relaxmarlin]

If you read this rule, I think that after watching Kenny Perry video you posted, that this would be a definite improvement of the lie of the intended area where the swing would hit the ball.

http://www.randa.org/Rules-of-Golf/MainRules/13-Ball-Played-as-It-Lies/SubRules/2-Improving-Lie-Area-of-Intended-Stance-or-Swing-or-Line-of-Play

[golfunderpar18]

Interesting Rahm was questioned about his marking of a ball at the Irish Open he just won. The official said while he did not mark it properly it wasn't enough to be penalized. I did think he pulled a Lexi. No big deal for us hackers but he has to know the rule, whether he was worried about being in the other's guy's line or not.

I don't understand how Lexi could get a 4 stoke penalty for doing a very similar thing to John Rahm. The official said it was only millimeters in difference. Really? These officials need to be consistent. Lexi clearly screwed up. So did Rahm.

I've golfed for 39 years and have never marked a ball to the side. I was taught to place my marker behind the ball, staying in line of the back of the ball and the flag/hole. He was going to move his marker anyway so what difference does it make? Move it 2 clubheads if you need to. Rahm was in the wrong and should have been penalized. Guessing rushing in the rain was also a factor, but he still screwed up.

Consistency in the rules is key.

[Ella]

Could some one please clarify the correct way to mark? Is there one or is it just a matter of being consistent. I see people mark to the side and then replace their ball to the front of the coin all the time. Drives me nuts. I have never seen anyone place their coin between the ball and the hole. I was taught to place the coin immediately behind but not touching the ball.

What's the correct way, Rules Gurus?

[OKHC]

Hi Ella; I believe that if you read rule 20, and the related decisions (the USGA web site is the easiest place to see both (http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-...le-20,d20-1-17)), all will be clear. The main point is that you have to replace the ball "on the spot from which it was lifted or moved." There has been, and maybe will be more, discussion here about how accurate you have to be in doing so.

[golfunderpar18]

Could some one please clarify the correct way to mark? Is there one or is it just a matter of being consistent. I see people mark to the side and then replace their ball to the front of the coin all the time. Drives me nuts. I have never seen anyone place their coin between the ball and the hole. I was taught to place the coin immediately behind but not touching the ball.

What's the correct way, Rules Gurus?

sorry I wasn't fully clear in my post. You should always place your mark directly behind the ball in front of you as you face the hole/flag. Mark your ball FIRST! I see so many amateurs pick up their golf ball and then put a coin where they think the ball was.
Here's a simple video -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3pg87WMjD0
1 mark your ball with a coin/ball marker
2 pick up your golf ball
3 when replacing your ball, keep the hole/flag in front of you and replace your ball in front of your marker
4 pick up your coin/marker

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjWmq-uvP_UAhUG6YMKHaltDlAQFgg9MAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgolftips.golfweek.com%2Fgolf-ball-marker-rules-1442.html&usg=AFQjCNFXLz38hI0Dfz6gPU9lfwIg1FWxmg

If you need to move your coin as it's in the way of a fellow player, always mark your ball as normal and then move the coin using the head of your putter 1 or more clubheads away to keep out of their line. ALWAYS use a tree or some other immovable object as your site line. Just don't guess and move the marker one way or the other. Again this is very important to keeping your original point on the green when you move your coin back.

[Ella]

Thanks very much!

[nomullies]

I don't understand how Lexi could get a 4 stoke penalty for doing a very similar thing to John Rahm. The official said it was only millimeters in difference. Really? These officials need to be consistent. Lexi clearly screwed up. So did Rahm.

I've golfed for 39 years and have never marked a ball to the side. I was taught to place my marker behind the ball, staying in line of the back of the ball and the flag/hole. He was going to move his marker anyway so what difference does it make? Move it 2 clubheads if you need to. Rahm was in the wrong and should have been penalized. Guessing rushing in the rain was also a factor, but he still screwed up.

Consistency in the rules is key.

Agreed. Except that I've golfed for about 45 years. What is so freakin' hard about marking behind the ball, in line with the hole?

[golfunderpar18]

I know.... can't believe a touring pro would ever mark their ball anywhere else but behind the ball, in line with the hole/flag! totally get that amateurs may not know this. Definitely some "basic training" around etiquette that can be taught when golfers are starting out in the game.

[Gridiron]

I understand that "it's in the rule..." but what difference does it make how you mark your ball as long as you put the ball back in the same place that it was? I often mark my ball to the side if it is close to being in someone's line. But then I put the ball back down where it was.