Rules calls from outside agencies - how should it be handled?

The PGA/ Euro Tour is letting fans kill the game. If they keep letting people call or email what they see on TV then there will be a big problem. People are now looking for anything to ruin someones day. They are mad because they do not have the skill of the players they look at on TV. The PGA needs to stop it at once. They need to not allow anything from the outside public. Only what is reported by the player or rules official should be counted. I want to find the people calling in and beat the crap out of them.
 
How many new phone lines have they added to the respective tours to handle all the new "Home Officials"? I actually catch myself watching these guy's pretty darn close and bet many others do the same. Are you watching that ball any closer now?
 
The only thing that bothers me about all of this is the low life bums who sit at home and call in about this stuff. You trying to be a hero there bum who probably lives in your mom's basement and stealing your cable from the neighbor? Get a life. I don't know what if anything can or will be done to stop it, they should tell the player the name and address of the person who called the foul in, imagine Pat Perez getting DQ'd after he seemingly won an event or a high finish, he'd go kill that guy who called in on him. That would take care of that issue right quick.

With the way this affected my Euro Fantasy team I'm ready to hunt down the caller
 
Okay so they had to break it down to super slow mo to see the ball move is total bs. If the rule says that the ball cant move when you move your marker than why don't they keep one finger on the ball when the pick up their marker to make sure it does not move? Would this be allowed.
 
Kick the caller's in, square in the arse :deadhorse: :thumb::thankyou:.
 
I wonder how many here and world wide have posted a comment? I did, but not seeing that many yet being this was on twitter and elsewhere.

Saw yours about your fantasy team :D I posted a couple
 
I posted a comment. I don't think that caller refs should be allowed. It's not allowed in any other sport. And I also agree that cameras are not on every player every moment of their rounds. So there is a basic inequity of rules being applied to all players. The honesty of the players is extremely high. There might be a extreme minority that may take advange of minor to more than minor infractions, but I have rarely heard of deliberate cheating or accusations of same.
 
To quote the title of Bob Rotella's book, "Golf is not a Game of Perfect". If you need High Definition and slow motion reply to see it... It never happed.
Just my opinion.
 
Call ins are not fair. In order for all competitors to be judged correctly we'd need to se every stroke of the entire field which will never happen.
I'm actually really bummed that there are people waiting for something like this to happen so that they can feel great because somebody was punished by their call. These people make me angry. No more call in descisions!
 
Just quit broadcasting golf tournaments on TV.

No sorry, that is not acceptable, it would make my wife way to happy.
 
I see your point but I disagree with you here. As tv viewers and fans of golf we get to watch the best of the best play the game we love at its highest level, that is where our interaction with the events ends. Does anybody sit at home watching the nfl and then call in pass interference, then two plays later the ref gets that info and penalizes that team? The fact that this happens is crazy IMO and the PGA needs to put a stop to it. After the call in about Camillo, it got so much press that I am sure others started to watch the broadcast more closely so that they could call in and be a part of the action too. Let the rules officials do their jobs and lets all sit at home and enjoy the golf.
On a separate note, in a case like Camillo's if someone does happen to call in after they have signed their card, and the player doesn't know they might have commited a rules infraction, should they not be able to give them the penalty strokes without disqualifying them? Add the strokes let them resign the card and let play go on.


I think there is a big difference between a football game, or a basketball game, and a medal play round of golf.

1) The R&A & USGA have actively promoted the ability of "outside agencies" to enforce rules infractions. The NFL, NBA have not.

2) Any team sport is played by 2 teams with "outside" officiating....golf has no "outside" officiating per se, and medal play involves people other than those in that group.

3) In medal play, you have a duty to "protect the field".

If the situation with Villegas or Harrington had have occured in match play, and an outside agency called a violation AFTER the hole had been completed, there is no way that they can go back and impose a penalty.

My favorite "outside agency" influence on a game of golf, happened a few years back to a "certain player" involving a BIG rock in the desert (I'm sure this has been discussed many times, but I had a sh1tty day, so I'm stirring it up...). Leaving alone whether "I" believed that that rock was embedded, I found it very interesting that they let that stand.

If you check out the decisions of the rules of golf, you might find it interesting why they decided that someone other than the player could help move an "obstruction", and what the circumstances were that led them to that decision.


***EDIT***

I do want to make it perfectly clear that I don't like the way the current rule reads, or is applied, but until it is changed. I have to live with it.

I do think that in the end this will be good for the game of golf, because it will force the cronies at The R&A and USGA to take a good hard look at the rules.

While they're looking at that particular item, maybe they'll also look at:

1) Having to putt through spike marks / scrapes because someone in front of me can't walk properly.

2) Finally deciding (they look at this every year), that a divot is "ground under repair".

3) Having to hit it out of someone's deep footprint because they were too damn lazy to rake the bunker.
 
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I've always thought that scores were reviewed by officials before they sign their card? If this doesn't already happen, it should, and make it that once the OFFICIALS have confirmed the scorecard legit (Or made any adjustments necessary) no other adjustments can be made, even if a viewer phones in to complain.

Of course some might see this as being a bit controversial but I think it's the best way of handling it.
 
all this phoning in is garbage in my opinion. what would these people have done back in the days without phones? send a telegram or write a letter i guess....
 
I think the callers Name , address & Phone # should be posted world wide !
Like mentioned before , only those in the lead are usually shown on TV , so their game is on the line , this is not an EVEN playing field IMO .
I am not saying these guys are cheating , but a green is not perfectly flat and a ball with dimples is NOT going to sit perfect every time !!!
A spike mark will make the damn thing move right , left , or sideways if its sitting just right !!!
Where has common sense gone ?
 
I think this is getting out of hand.
The rules of golf are in place to make it a fair gamr ie; same rules for everybody. With all the 'viewer call in a penalty' crap, effectively the higher profile players are under more scrutiny than the rest of the field. This is not parity. As others have already said in this thread, we don't see every shot of every player in the field so it's impossible for the current system to work, imo.

The armchair officials need a good kick up the ass. Have a rant with your mates if you like, but leave it at that for christs sake. Just remember, that's someones livliehood you're fooling around with there.
 
My favorite "outside agency" influence on a game of golf, happened a few years back to a "certain player" involving a BIG rock in the desert (I'm sure this has been discussed many times, but I had a sh1tty day, so I'm stirring it up...). Leaving alone whether "I" believed that that rock was embedded, I found it very interesting that they let that stand.

If you check out the decisions of the rules of golf, you might find it interesting why they decided that someone other than the player could help move an "obstruction", and what the circumstances were that led them to that decision.

i never understood why that was okay... it must be because he was untouchable at that time... so much for "protecting the field"
the next time phil or rickie has something in the way im renting a bulldozer and nobody should be penalized
 
So, if I watch a tournament from say last year and see an infraction committed by the eventual winner of the tournament and call it in are they going to DQ him and force him to turn the prize money over to the 2nd place finisher? I haven't heard that there is a time limit in place for calling in the infraction
 
So, if I watch a tournament from say last year and see an infraction committed by the eventual winner of the tournament and call it in are they going to DQ him and force him to turn the prize money over to the 2nd place finisher? I haven't heard that there is a time limit in place for calling in the infraction

Once The Tour ( PGA.Euro,Champions...) calls the results "official" Its over. If somebody calls in Monday morning they don't and can't go back and apply a penalty.

What do you think golf is ? The Heisman ?
 
Once The Tour ( PGA.Euro,Champions...) calls the results "official" Its over. If somebody calls in Monday morning they don't and can't go back and apply a penalty.

What do you think golf is ? The Heisman ?

Seems to me that once the official accepts the signed card it should be "Official" and over and done with.
 
Seems to me that once the official accepts the signed card it should be "Official" and over and done with.

exactly what i was thinking... seems to be alot of iffyness in all of this
 
I am in agreement to the time limitation mentioned by several posters, once the round is complete and the player has signed and the card is verified by the officials, it should be an official round. Now that people are calling in for infractions that must be viewed in slowmotion to detect the call ins have become detrimental to the game. I would venture to guess that the ball is "technically" misplaced when replacing a marked ball at least half of the time. True is may be even 1/10th of the 1.5 dimples, but it is still misplaced. Do we disqualify the entire field, or do we let the players judge if they have done their absolute best to replace the ball. Golf is a game based on intergity and a cheater will soon be exposed.
 
Under no circumstance should an outside person's call by phone or in attendance at the event be allowed to make the call on a player. If an official missed it that is part of every sport it's part of the game this is just stupid. Let me see next time I see an offside missed on TV I'm calling Toronto and demand that the call be reversed. I'm sure I'd be greeted by a large FO and hung up on. The PGA has made themselves look completely bush league again.
 
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