USGA ruling on Matt Fitzpatrick's driver

sdandrea1

How cracked does a face have to be?

https://www.thegolfinggazette.com/news/matt-fitzpatrick-labels-rules-officials-an-absolute-disgrace-after-what-just-happened-in-his-final-round-of-the-bmw-championship/

Par4QC

sdandrea1
I'll bet Rory got to get a new driver when he broke his shaft.

ode

sdandrea1 not saying I agree with the local rule, but that was worth the watch to hear him whine! The FitzWhambulance was almost needed.

Does anyone have insight to this being a local rule🤔. Every PGA tournament🤔.....or is this really "local"?

Typhoon

Another reason I don’t care about the PGA Tour.

KCee

Par4QC Like they say, if you're going to lay up then lay up and if you're going to break a club then break a club 😉

ode

Par4QC Rory

He's just that strong😉

Par4QC

KCee They were playing at 6400' in Colorado. He didn't want to use his 3 wood off the tee. It would only go 350.

azgreg

Not damaged enough? Us that like sorta pregnant?

Par4QC

azgreg He's allowed to repair it or keep using it. Not allowed to replace it unless damaged by 'outside forces' or someone other than him or his caddy.
That's not just a 'local' rule, it is the USGA rule.

So, Rory should not have been able to replace his driver. Don't know if that happened or not.

potbunker

Par4QC So, Rory should not have been able to replace his driver. Don't know if that happened or not.

When the shaft broke??

The shaft broke on #8 or #9.

They commented that he did not replace the shaft at the turn. I did not watch enough after that to confirm the driver stayed out of play.

Luc_Van_Daele

Par4QC Not allowed to replace it unless damaged by 'outside forces' or someone other than him or his caddy.

This is the case when a player damages a club on purpose e.g. by smacking it in anger against a tree; breackage by material fatigue is an 'outside force'; a crack or scratch however isn't enough to be considered 'damaged' since this supposingly does not alter the playing characteristisc (rulings 4.1a(1)/1 wear trough normal use does not make a club non conforming). In case of a thin walled driver, I'm more on the side of Fitzpatrick on this.

Rule 4.1a (2) Repair or Replacement of Club Damaged During Round. If a conforming club
is damaged during a round or while play is stopped under Rule 5.7a, except in
cases of abuse, the player may repair it or replace it with another club.

sdandrea1

potbunker When the shaft broke??

Rory BROKE the shaft.

pike51

Rory was not allowed to replace the driver during the round.

Luc_Van_Daele

pike51 Rory was not allowed to replace the driver during the round.

It didn't brake in the course of normal play, but by abuse (Rory leaned on it).

Fitspatrick cracked his driver in normal play, but a crack is considered normal wear and tear. So If I buy a new driver and after a weeks play it cracks, the manufacturer does not have to replace it, it's normal wear and tear. Good to know.

potbunker

sdandrea1 Rory BROKE the shaft.

Yes, and why it was not replaced.

PA-PLAYA

Even the rules official acknowledged that he could see and feel the crack on the face.

Utter incompetence on the part of the PGA tour.

ode

PA-PLAYA I don't know that it is.....per the "local" rule and their interpretation. IMO it's just a dumb local rule. Still not understanding it!

PA-PLAYA

ode

Ambiguity fosters potential inequity. Had this been Tiger and not Fitzpatrick, the chances are pretty good that they would've immediately called for a cart to come pick him and his caddie up to go get the spare driver. Which would've been the correct decision btw, *but only if the standard applied to all.

A crack in the face of a driver that occurs during a normal strike attempt should be a no brainer. I don't understand it either.

ode

PA-PLAYA yes very strange that this would not constitute the ability to swap out. I would immediately take it out of play. There are the rules and then the interpretation of the rules, which IMO is/can be the real issue. Historically these people are so up tight about appearance of a violation that an infraction is called if it's a close call vs. upholding what's in black and white. Protecting the field BS. I think that has softened over time which is good. In this case the official said clear separation and overlapping ...... It might have been OR or AND/OR .... Why I have no idea. Is a crack not clear separation of titanium, lol.

sdandrea1

DE-FUND THE USGA!!!!! IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE!

"Stop, Hey, what's that sound, everybody look what's going down". 😂

raggmann54

Since he had a choice of keep playing the club or repair the club because the damage does not rise to level of replacement maybe he should have said I'll repair it - send out the TIG welder...

sdandrea1

raggmann54 Since he had a choice of keep playing the club or repair the club because the damage does not rise to level of replacement maybe he should have said I'll repair it - send out the TIG welder...

This brings up an interesting question. What constitutes "repair"? Is changing the head (a component) considered "replacing the club"?
Could one argue that changing a component is a repair?