USGA ruling on Matt Fitzpatrick's driver

sdandrea1 · 2024-08-26T17:57:07+00:00

How cracked does a face have to be? https://www.thegolfinggazette.com/news/matt-fitzpatrick-labels-rules-officials-an-absolute-disgrace-after-what-just-happ...

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.

sdandrea1

potbunker When the shaft broke??

Rory BROKE the shaft.

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.

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?

Stu1961

“While a crack can impact the club's performance, it does not meet the threshold of being "significantly damaged" that would allow it to be replaced under the USGA's Model Local Rule G-9”
Apparently that “threshold” is only met once the club becomes non-conforming… given that this nearly identical situation happened to Seung-Yul Noh back in May. After being denied replacement, he used the driver again on the next hole and it worsened. At that point the rules official allowed replacement stating “there was definitely separation in the metal on the face, and there was clear concavity in the face. Concavity renders a club face non-conforming. So the club at that point was unfit for play.”

I wonder if the same threshold would need to be met for a slight crack in the shaft? Or would the chance of it snapping off and flying into the crowd lower that “conforming” threshold?

sdandrea1

Stu1961 Or would the chance of it snapping off and flying into the crowd lower that “conforming” threshold?

USGA worried about injury? BWAHAHAHAHAHA

ode

Stu1961 separation

This is where I wonder if it's not an old rule related to wood/en heads or something like that and applying it to today's technology.

A crack in titanium is clear separation IMO and the fact that it actually needs to get worse before the rules allow for replacement seems silly, as it will 100% of the time get worse.

I dunno, but I suspect this will change....a d why is it a "local rule".....or maybe I should ask what is a local rule....i.e. something regional or specific to that location?

KCee

I didn't realize the rules official were trained in club inspection now.

sdandrea1

KCee I didn't realize the rules official were trained in club inspection now.

USGA governs play AND equipment. Buncha anal clowns.

raggmann54

ode
How does a damaged club become a local rule??? Clubs don’t get damaged at Oakmont or Augusta???

Stu1961

ode
I thought it odd that he mentioned “separation” in the explanation , as the only way there would be separation would be if there was also concavity (or some other face deformation making it non-conforming). I’ve never seen a driver face expand, becoming taller or wider.

ode

raggmann54 i always thought a local rule was specific to a course and some sort of condition on that course like an area that was wet and balls plugged often so a local rule, but maybe I don't understand what a local rule actually is/the intent.

Taki27

It’s just another example of stupidity. Professionals have always been deferred to as to what their intentions are. Heck, even Scheffler was practically saying “there’s a crack in the driver, what else does he need?”. This rule applies to Professionals, unless us amateurs are leaving extra driver heads in the back of the cart in case something happens.

Why risk someone getting injured when a resolution is SO simple? If that next tee shot squirrels left or right and hits a spectator, the PGA Tour and even Fitzpatrick are staring at a potentially huge lawsuit.

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