The Metropolitan Vol 10, No 2 (April 2023)

The Metropolitan

19 Volunteer

Become a Volunteer for the Association Today!

4 Curt’s Corner

Director

5 By The Numbers

Play

Yardage

Book

10 The Bogeyman

Two Different Balls, One Sport

Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association

WHO ARE WE?

20 The Masters

A Spanish Destino - recap all that happened at Augusta and made this a special Win

22 What’s Next for MAGA?

Monthly Schedule and Deadlines

12 Golf Fitness Hub

Over The Top - most common swing fault in high handicap golfers

6 25th Old Warson Cup

Marking its Silver Anniversary, the Old Warson Cup has found a champion!

8 Sobbe Cup Draw

The groups are set for the 2023 Sobbe Cup with 18 groups of 3. Teams are ready for the battle of the summer.

14 Sup’s On

The State of the Mowers Address

16 Rules Center

When a replaced ball won’t stay put.

23 Keeping Up with the USGA

USGA Commits $30M to Water Resilience Efforts.

24 World of Golf

See the World’s Champions from the month of April

26 Normandie Reimagined

An update on the renovation project of Normandie Golf Club.

An Allied Golf Association of the USGA providing a variety of golf services to clubs and golfers in the Metropolitan St. Louis, Central, and Southern Illinois region.

WHAT WE DO:

- Provide GHIN Handicap Service to 140+ Member Clubs under the World Handicap System

- Provide the USGA Course/Slope Rating service to our Member Clubs

- Regional authority on the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status

- Conduct twelve (12) Metropolitan Championships each season

- Conduct USGA Qualifying for nine (9) USGA Championships each season

- Conduct three (3) Championships in Illinois

- Conduct the Amateur Series of Events for golfers of all ages and abilities

METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Amateur Championship

Open Championship

Women’s Amateur Championship

Junior Amateur Championship

Senior Amateur Championship

Four-Ball Championship

9-Hole Championship

East Side Amateur

Old Warson Cup (Match Play Championship)

Shogren Cup (Match Play PGA Pros vs. MAGA Amateurs)

Sobbe Cup

Mid-America Junior Cup

Amateur Series

ILLINOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Southern Illinois Amateur

SIGA Championship

Tony Stevens Cup

USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS

U.S. Open • U.S. Amateur

U.S. Mid-Amateur • U.S. Senior Amateur

U.S. Women’s Open • U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur

U.S. Junior Amateur • U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur

U.S. Amateur Four-Ball

By The Numbers

MAGA STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org

DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Caroline Buchan - caroline@metga.org

2023 PJ BOATWRIGHT INTERNS

Anna Marriott, Communications

Josh Plohr, Operations

Amari Sewer, Operations

EXECUTIVE BOARD Officers

Scott Engelbrecht, President/Treasurer

Mike Marquart, Secretary

At Large Members

John Bugh

Stan Grossman

Kelli Kirchoff

Mike Marquart

Rick Meyer, Jr

John Moore

Mick Wellington

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Scott Thomas, Chairman

Tom Barry

Skip Berkmeyer

Chris Kovach

Ryan Eckelcamp

Tom Portner

Curt Rohe

THE METROPOLITAN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Dan O’Neill

MVGCSAA

Dr. Zach Cutler

Curt Rohe - Executive Director

Members, welcome to May! We are full speed ahead into the tournament season at the publishing of this edition of The Metropolitan kicking off with the Old Warson Cup. May is going to be an extremely busy month with several championships and USGA qualifiers to start the year.

The Old Warson Cup proved to be a battle with unseasonably windy conditions at Old Warson CC. Congratulations to Max Kreikemeier for his victory and surviving one of the toughest Old Warson Cups I can remember. Aside from the blustery conditions, Old Warson was playing about as firm and fast as we have ever seen it and the players loved it. The week started with a great dinner on Thursday night to commemorate 25 years of the cup with many past champions and this years field.

The 2023 Amateur Series presented by Imperial Headwear kicked off another season at Persimmon Woods on May 1 with a 116 players teeing it up in another windy day. A great turnout, we had another 15 or so on the waiting list for the inaugural event of the season. Persimmon was great and a treat to start the season, should be another record breaking season for the Amateur Series!

As some may have seen a couple weeks ago on our social media channels, myself and Curt Goss (Head Professional at St. Albans) are starting a podcast. C&C Golf Factory is ready to launch in the coming days and we could not be more excited to see this finally go, it has been an idea of ours for several years. Our goal with this is to keep it local, talking about golf in the STL. Stay tuned and look for more to come very soon.

This first half of May is just crazy busy for us and the staff. Shogren Cup, East Side Amateur, US Open Local Qualifying and Metropolitan Open Championship are one right after the other and we end with the US Women’s Open Qualifying at Bellerive on May 24. Squeezed in between all of that we welcome our three Boatwright interns to the mix, Josh Plohr, Amari Sewer and Anna Marriott will be joining us soon and Caroline and I are very excited to get them started and into our team for the season.

I hope you all follow us on our social media channels, if not, please go do so...Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! I want to give a big shout out to our Director, Communications and Marketing Caroline Buchan...she has been putting so much content out for our members, golfers and followers and is coming up on her 1 year anniversary with us. Thank you Caroline and great work!

As we get into May we will have our four monthly issues of The Metropolitan through August so a lot is coming your way. If you have any interest in being a corporate sponsor or advertise in the newsletter please reach out to us and Caroline can go through the details. Thank you for reading and good golfing to everyone!

4 - As in feet, as in how much distance there was between the cup and Rory McIlroy’s ball after his drive on the 375yard par 4 par 18th at Austin Country Club during the second day of the WGC-Dell Match Play last month. McIlroy’s drive carried 3439 yards, bounced on the front of the green, then rolled to a stop four feet (actually three inches less). Did he make it? Well, he never had to try. In the match play environment, the next shot was conceded by his opponent, Denny McCarthy, as was the match. In other words, McIlroy closed out his match with an eagle and a 2 up victory. The talented Irishman went on to lose a semifinal match to Cameron Young, but defeated Scottie Scheffler to finish third in the tournament.

1958 - The year “Amen Corner” at Augusta National got its name. The label, of course, refers to holes No. 11, 12 and 13 on the revered golf course. The name was first suggested by legendary golf writer Herbert Warren Wind, who was hacking on a typewriter for Sports Illustrated at the time. Wind applied the prayerful reference specifically to the low-lying section of the golf course that includes the second half of hole No. 11, hole No. 12 and the first half of hole No. 13. Frequently, the holes are where dramatic and operative action takes place in the Masters and that certainly was the case in 1958. On No. 12, Arnold Palmer got a favorable ruling and was awarded a par 3 instead of a double bogey 5. The 28-year old Palmer went on to win that ’58 Masters by a stroke - his first major championship and an event that changed the landscape of professional golf.

12

- That’s the seed position Alex Locke carried going into the 2022 Old Warson Cup. As the Metropolitan posted, the 2023 edition of the Old Watson Cup was opening the 2023 MAGA season at Old Warson Country Club. One never knows what will happen in the match-play event, and 2022 was a prime example. Locke, a product of Glendale

High in Springfield, Mo., had never played the Robert Trent Jones course as the tournament began. But he became familiar with the grounds straight away when both of his matches in the first two rounds went extra holes. Advancing to a championship match with Jason Landry, Locke took a 3-up lead on the front nine and never looked back, closing out the match 6 and 4 to win his first MAGA title. It was a tough-luck outcome for Landry, who faced Sam Migdal in the 2021 championship final only to fall 1-up.

99

- The number of players who exceeded 300 yards in the PGA Tour Driving Distance statistics for the 2021-22 season. The leader was Cameron Champ, whose average drive went 321.40 yards. Right behind Champ was the aforementioned McIlroy, who registered 321.30 yards. The “lightweight” on the list was Hayden Buckley, a University of Missouri product, who posted an average of 300.1 yards; Alex Soren narrowly missed making the club with a 299.8. As for the number of drives that reached 300 or more yards last season, the PGA Tour supplied data to Golf Digest saying 56,930 drives covered at least 300 yards, which meant 27.7 percent of the drives on tour traveled more than 300 yards. That said, 3,775 drives went 350 yards or more, while 74 swipes went 400 yards or longer. And yes, one recorded drive exceeded 450 yards - Scott Stallings hit a mammoth shot of 460 yards on the 15th hole during the second round of the WM Phoenix Open.

738

- According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), this is the number of public golf courses (daily fee and municipal) to be found in Michigan, which is the No. 1 state in the country for public golf. Florida ranks second with 677 public courses and California has 633. Approximately 86 percent of Michigan’s golf courses are open to public play.

The Fight for the Old Warson Cup

Two days filled with stiff competition and tough weather conditions led to a memorable 25th Old Warson Cup. Sixteen of the area’s top golfers and four of the top senior golfers came together to battle in a Match Play event. Saturday morning the weather was bearable, with the sun shining and some wind gusts, but as the weekend progressed the weather continued to decline. The winds continued to get stronger, making itself a factor in the players’ game. Sunday these conditions declined further with cooler temperatures, less sun, and continuing increased cool winds. The Round of 16 kicked of the championship with a bang. Three upsets happened when the first, fourth, and fifth seeds were knocked out of the competition by the sixteenth, thirteenth, and twelfth seeds, respectively. Joel Sylven, the sixteenth seed, knocked off the number one seed, Tony Gumper, 5 & 4 in his Old Warson Cup debut. Thirteenth seed, Jason Landry, took down the reigning Metropolitan Amateur Champion, Drew Pranger (Seed 4), 2 & 1, while Max Kreikemeier, the twelfth seed, took down fifth seed, Brad Carpenter, 2 & 1. The five other quarterfinalists joining them were Ryan Eckelkemp (6 & 4), Chad Niezing (3 & 1), Shawn Jasper (3 & 1), Ryan Sullivan (5 & 3), and Justin Bryant (3 & 2).

In an afternoon wave, the quarterfinals started rolling. Sylven proved his early win was no fluke when he defeated Eckelkamp 6 & 5. The other three matches were more tightly contested. Kreikemeier versus Landry was the first match of the championship to reach 18 holes, and then did not stop there. With neither player wanting to give up the fight, the match went on to 21 holes, where Kreikemeier made birdie to win the match. Jasper (Seed 10) and Niezing (Seed 2) held a tightly contested match with Jasper winning 2 & 1. Bryant and Sullivan became the second match to reach 18 holes to determine their match. In a back and forth battle, Bryant became victorious by tying the eighteenth hole to win the match 1-Up.

The Semi-Finals saw Kreikemeier versus Sylven and Jasper versus Bryant in tough weather conditions. Both were hard fought matches. Though Sylven fought hard to keep Kreikemeier on his toes, Max managed to showed his strength by having the lead for the majority of the match. Tying the last four holes of the match, Kreikemeier defeated a strong competititor 3 & 2. Jasper and Bryant stayed toe-to-toe throughout their match. Jasper took the lead on the third hole and maintained that lead until the last few holes. Bryant really found his footing on the back nine

and came back to win hole fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen, forcing the match to 18 holes. Sitting 1-Up, Bryant needed to tie the hole to move on to the final, and he did just that to win the match 1-Up.

Finally the Final Match was upon us with the twelfth seed, Max Kreikemeier, taking on the sixth seed and former Old Warson Cup Champion, Justin Bryant. Still in the groove from his Semi-Final Match, Kreikemeier started out strong and never let off the gas. Taking the lead on Hole 2, he pushed on to find himself 3-Up through seven holes after making eagle on 6 and birdie on 7. Bryant tried to shrink the lead by winning Holes 9 and 13 to bring the match within 1. Taking it the seventeenth hole, a short tee shot and miss hit chip for Bryant, left the door open for Kreikemeier to close out the match. Capitalizing on the misfortune of Bryant by winning the hole, Kreikemeier closed out the match 2 & 1. After playing more golf - 71 holes - than anyone else in the field, Max Kreikemeier earned the title of Old Warson Cup Champion.

Concurrently, the Senior Division played their Semi-Final matches on Saturday afternoon and the Final match on Sunday afternoon. In the Semi-Final matches, Brian Lovett (Seed 1) faced David Bremer (Seed 4) while Buddy Allen (Seed 2) played Paul Neeman (Seed 4). Lovett defeated Bremer in a close match 2 & 1. Meanwhile, fighting hard, Neeman took down the 2022 Champion, Allen, 3 & 1. In the Final Match, Neeman and Lovett continued to test each other throughout the match. Neeman found himself 1-Up twice in the match, but Lovett would not give up the fight. On the sixteenth hole, Lovett found himself 1-Up with two to play. Taking it to the 18th green, Lovett tied the hole to win the match and become the second Old Warson Cup Senior Champion.

Photos Results

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< Brian Lovett 2023 Old Warson Cup Senior Champion

Sobbe Cup Draw

The Thomas O. Sobbe Cup is ready to kick off again in 2023. Each year, Metropolitan Member Clubs submit their teams to compete for the title. Teams are comprised of 8 players: 7 amateurs and 1 professional. The teams are placed into divisions through a draw that takes place prior to the start of the season. Once the divisions are set, the teams play matches in a round robin format within their division. The Division Winners then go on to compete in the single-elimination playoffs. The six matches played every time two sides meet are 1 Professional Match, 2 Single Scratch Matches, 1 Single Handicap Match, 1 Four-Ball Handicap Match, and 1 Senior Four-Ball Handicap Match. 2022 Reigning Champion, Quincy Country Club, is back to defend their title this year, while 2021 Champion, Old Hickory Golf Club, and 2020 Champion, Westborough Country Club, are looking to reclaim the title with a win for a second time. Teams will face off against each other throughout the summer and the results can be located on our website. At the end of the playoffs, the final four teams will meet on September 15 at The Legends Country Club to decide a champion.

Country Club

Two Different Balls, One Sport

375-yard par 4 18th hole at Austin Country Club.

The Bogeyman Dan O’Neill

Maybe you can put the genie back in the bottle, at least you can try.

That’s what the USGA and R&A are trying to do with a new proposal. A few weeks ago golf’s governing bodies announced a proposal to create a Model Local Rule (MLR), where PGA Tour caliber players must use a different golf ball than that which is used by the recreational golfer – i.e, the ol’ Bogeyman. If adopted, the stipulation will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.

To review, we’re taking two different balls, one sport. And that spells bifurcation. Naturally, the response to the proposal has been equally bifurcated. One of the responders - TaylorMade, which manufactures and sells balls - released a statement opposing the move to regulate the distance achieving properties of the professional ball.

“We believe a large part of golf’s appeal is this underlying sense of: “I can do that, too,” the statement said. “And using the same equipment as the pros gives us a more accurate feel for how talented these players are.

“Most of us will never know what it’s like to play in Madison Square Garden, throw a touchdown in the Super Bowl, or score the game-winning goal in a World Cup final, but we can go to St. Andrews, walk across the Swilcan Bridge and for a moment feel what it’s like to be a professional. Walk in their shoes, play the same courses, and use the same equipment. It’s all part of why we love this sport.”

Others, who are directly impacted, have a different take. Last month, Rory McIlroy demonstrated the dynamics involved. Competing in the WGCDell Technologies Match Play event in Austin, Tex, McIlroy closed out his match against Denny McCarthy with authority, knocking his tee ball to less than four feet from the flag on the 18th hole. That would be the

Now, one might think a player capable of such a remarkable shot would be against a rule that strives to make it impossible, and one would be wrong. McIlroy, among the longest hitters in captivity, understands the dynamics and how they are affecting the game.

“For elite level play, I really like (the rule). I really do,” McIlroy said. “I’m glad in this new proposal that they haven’t touched the recreational golfer. I know that’s a really unpopular opinion amongst my peers, but I think it’s going to help identify who the best players are a bit easier.”

Another of golf’s sluggers, Bryson DeChambeau, disagrees. “If you could say I’m the complete opposite times 1,000, that’s what I would be,” DeChambeau told the LIV Golf website. “I think it’s the most atrocious thing that you could possibly do to the game of golf. It’s not about rolling golf balls back – it’s about making golf courses more difficult.”

Yes, for the pros. And maybe it’s about making golf more relevant to its original designs, more interesting, more cost-efficient and more sustainable. In this scenario, more is not less, more is more.

DeChambeau, who overpowered Winged Foot to win the 2020 U.S. Open, thinks it’s about making golf more difficult. The USGA, according to its press release, suggests it’s about “the core principles that a broad and balanced set of playing skills should remain the primary determinant of success in golf.”

For the number nerds and stat geeks among us, the MLR commands that golf balls used in elite competition - i.e. PGA Tour events, USGA championships, etc - must not exceed the current Overall Distance Standard (ODS) limit of 317 yards (plus 3 yards tolerance) at modified Actual Launch Conditions (ALC) with a clubhead speed of 127 mph and based on a calibration setup of 11 degrees and 37 revolutions per second (2,220 rpm) as part of this proposal.

Try saying that three times fast!

In layman’s terms, the USGA is going to take the golf ball, put it in Mr. Peabody’s time machine, along with Sherman, and send them back a few years. Last season, 99 PGA Tour players exceeded the 300-yard marker, while the average driving distance on the PGA Tour is right at 300 yards,

give or take a roll or two. That is, the average PGA Tour player hits his drive 85 yards farther than the average male golfer. In 1980, when such statistics were first kept, the average driving distance on the PGA Tour was just more than 257 yards.

The TaylorMade statement notwithstanding, all things are not equal. A while back, research done by Trackman showed the average male golfer has a swing speed of 93.4 miles per hour and the average PGA Tour player was at 114.2. So, Joe Blow might tee it up at St. Andrews, walk across the Swilcan Bridge and carry the same bag of bats as Tiger Woods. But it’s not likely he will be hitting the same shots. In truth, more might be capable if they’re using a different ball.

“Hitting distances at the elite level of the game have consistently increased over the past 20, 40, and 60 years,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA. “It’s been two decades since we last revisited our testing standards for ball distances.”

“Predictable, continued increases will become a significant issue for the next generation if not addressed soon. We are taking the next steps in this process, guided first and foremost by doing what’s right by the entire game.”

Jack Nicklaus went to St. Andrews, and at the age of 65 he walked across the Swilcan Bridge, made a birdie putt on the 18th green and waved goodbye. Nicklaus feels the USGA is on the right track with the new proposal.

That’s good enough for me.

OVER THE TOP

One of the most common swing faults amongst high handicap golfers.

> Swinging over the top results in approaching the ball from the outside to in, due to the overuse and dominance of the upper body through the downswing.

> This swing fault results in a slice if the clubface is open or a pull if the clubface is square or closed.

THE BODY-SWING CONNECTION

> Swinging over the top in the golf swing is due to the upper body transitioning first in the downswing instead of the lower body.

> For a proper downswing sequence, it is essential to initiate the lower body first in the transition and have a proper weight shift from your back foot to lead foot.

If you are struggling with swinging over the top or want to avoid this swing fault, here are a couple simple exercises to help you!

BEAUTY VS. THE BEAST CHARITY MATCH

On Monday, June 5, 2023, golf legends Paige Spiranac and John Daly will go toe-to-toe in Destination Geneva National's Beauty vs. the Beast Celebrity Charity Match. 100% of ticket proceeds benefit veteran charities SOWF and Heart of a Lion.

> The key to a proper weight shift requires several physical factors, including the ability to disassociate the lower body from the upper body, strong core muscles and glute strength, as well as adequate hip mobility.

Dr. Zach Cutler

Sports Chiropractor and TPI Certified Family Golf and Learning Center

@FGLCPERFORMANCE

Sup’s On:

The State of the Mowers Address

The longer you run your vehicle, the more likely you are to need repairs and the higher the cost of those repairs. At some point, it may cost you more money to keep the vehicle running than it is worth. This is where having an equipment replacement plan is key to the smooth operation of your golf course.

Erb Turf Equipment

COVID, Supply Shortage, Backordered, not Available, Delayed, Labor Shortage, etc.... who else is tired of hearing these words???? I know I am, and I am sure most of you are too. The simple fact is, we still have to live with and deal with these words in most of our daily tasks, and especially in the golf course maintenance equipment world.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tim Schwierjohn and I am a golf and turf equipment salesmen for the local John Deere Golf dealer, Erb Turf Equipment. I am definitely no stranger to golf. I began playing golf with my parents when I was about 10 years old. My first job at 16 years old was on the grounds crew of our local course. I later find my way into the golf maintenance world as an assistant superintendent for 4 years, Golf Superintendent for 10 years, and I have now been selling golf maintenance equipment to my friends and colleagues for 6 years and counting. I understand which pieces of equipment are needed to accomplish certain tasks on the golf course and produce the desired conditions, and now I know some of the process of how and where those machines are designed and manufactured.

Amount of use on typical golf course maintenance equipment: We all know every machine has a typical lifetime where it functions properly with routine maintenance. As that machine gets older, more things start to break and fail, causing more and higher dollar repairs. In our region of the country, most golf course mowers accumulate on average 400600 hours of use each year. That amount of use relates to approximately 28,000-42,000 miles on a vehicle. In my experience as a driver, I would say a vehicle is usually free of major repairs for 100,000-150,000 miles. The same goes for mowing equipment.... usually 1500-2500 hours with routine maintenance (fluid changes such as oil, hydraulic fluid, engine coolant, tire rotations, brake adjustments, etc....) just like your vehicle.

Each golf course will have its own unique list of essential equipment depending on its number of golf holes, budget, number of employees, course design, amount of bunkers and water hazards, elevation and steepness of the terrain, and lastly player and course expectations. Some golf courses like to utilize equipment for 4 or 5 years and then trade it back in on new equipment so they can keep the total hours low and free of major repairs. Whereas some courses are only fortunate enough to buy a new piece of equipment once every couple years. These golf courses are also the ones who like to purchase that same used piece of equipment with low hours on it. Lastly, there are other courses that can only afford to buy high hour used equipment and they use it for as many years as the machine will allow. This usually ends up costing quite a bit in repair costs due to the older age and very high use of the machine.

So, how did covid effect these decisions? As we all know, golf rounds greatly increased during covid. We also know that factories and business across the world were slowed and sometimes stopped for periods of time during covid. Most people kept working and earning a paycheck, but there wasn’t much to do for people such as entertainment or vacation spots so people decided to spend their money on other things like cars, home improvements, outdoor recreation equipment, etc.... which eventually caused supply shortages. Once all the inventory that was on the shelves and in warehouses was gone, there wasn’t enough new inventory getting made to replenish what was being sold across the world. This was exactly the same case in golf maintenance. The factories couldn’t get enough steel, gas and diesel engines, rubber, plastic, polymers, wiring supplies, etc.... to build the number of machines that were being ordered. This caused a delay in receiving the machines after they were ordered. What used to take a dealership a couple weeks to deliver, now takes 12 months.... sometimes even longer like 24 months or more. This doesn’t just affect new golf maintenance machines. Remember when I wrote earlier that some golf courses buy used equipment? Well, the courses that trade in their equipment every 4-5 years can’t do that because they can’t get their new equipment. This has caused a huge bottle neck in the equipment world. What does this mean?

It is more important now that every golf course has an equipment replacement plan in place, and they update that plan every couple years. Since it takes 12 or more months to receive equipment after an order is placed, the management needs to start looking at their needs and the prices of that equipment at least 4-6 months prior to the order. If they don’t or can’t make those decisions at that time, they will be forced to wait for the equipment. Sometimes that isn’t a big deal, but sometimes if a course is leasing that equipment, those dates can’t be missed. When that lease matures, technically the bank or finance company owns that equipment. If the golf course doesn’t have their new equipment, they then have to work with the finance company and dealership to either extend that lease, rent that equipment from the leasing company, or are forced to buy that used equipment at the current market value. The supply shortages do not just apply to new equipment either. Replacement parts are also much harder to get. You may have had to buy a used machine or just keep your current machine, but now you can’t get parts to fix it when it breaks down. It is not making life any easier for the Golf Course Superintendent or Equipment Technician.

It is a different world we live in now, and we are all getting used to it. It has become the “New Normal” in regards to not having everything at our disposal all the time, but it is the reality. People that have been in this business way longer than me are thinking that things will start to get better in 2024, but it still looks like there is a long way to go to get back to pre-covid times. The best we can do is be patient and understand that some things may not be available, some things are just out of our control, and some conditions may not be exactly the way we like them, but we all still get to enjoy this great game and the beautiful stage it is played on.

Tim Schwierjohn

Rules Center

Replaced Ball Won’t Stay Put Ball Moving Media Frenzy

Being a Master of the game is why it is called The Masters. Mastering the game also means mastering the Rules, which can be a daunting task when the whole world is watching. Collin Morikawa got a taste of that following his first round at The Masters this year.

During the live broadcast, the feed switched from one hole to the sixth green where the world witnessed Collin Morikawa in up close, HD, moving his ball a noticable distance from where his marker was lying on the ground(shown in picture). Instantly, the viewers watching at home on their 60” flatscreens took to the internet screaming about what appeared to be a blatant violation of the Rules of Golf. Not helping the cause of immediate questioning by viewers, was the fact that the commentators themselves were dumbfounded by what was transpiring on the screen. Clearly having received no communications on the scene at hand, they commented on how it appeared Morikawa was moving his ball and then remarking it without any rhyme or reason, therefore breaking the rules.

The caveat here: we as the viewers were not shown the entire clip of events. It turns out, Collin’s ball had moved from its original spot via natural forces. What we saw, was the aftermath of him following procedure to replace the ball to its original spot which had been previously marked. The marker on the ground was there for no other reason than he had taken it out of his pocket ready to be used. Off camera, he had already consulted with his playing partners, and cleared his actions to move his ball. Morikawa was in fact following the rules (Rule 13.1d to be exact), not breaking them.

Luckily for most of us, we do not have hundreds of cameras pointing at us and streaming to the world our every move. But there’s still a lesson in this: inform the people around you why and what you are about to do before moving your ball. Save everyone the trouble of questioning your integrity by just discussing it beforehand. So, what is the proper procedure when your ball moves similarly to this?

John explains what to do when your ball moves on the putting green:

Dear John: I was playing the par-4 17th hole at Porto Cima on Thursday. It had rained earlier and the greens were damp and soft. My approach shot from across the cove plugged on the green (see circled ball at top of green, just right of the flagstick). I marked the spot, lifted and cleaned the ball, fixed the ball mark, and replaced the ball several times, but it wouldn’t stay put on the slope. Not knowing what else to do, I placed the ball on the repaired ball mark and let it roll 20 feet down the slope, much closer to the hole (see circled ball on right side of photo). I played the ball from its new resting place and did not take any penalty strokes. Did I follow the rules on this?

- Frustrated

Dear Frustrated: Not exactly. Once a player marks and lifts their ball on the putting green, the ball “owns” the spot. That is, if the player marks, lifts, maybe cleans, and replaces their ball on the putting green, and gravity or a breeze subsequently moves the ball (known or virtually certain), the player must return it to that spot, not play the ball from where it came to rest (Rule 13.1d(2) and Exception 1 to Rule 9.3).

“If the ball does not stay on that spot, the player must replace the ball by placing it on the nearest spot where the ball will stay at rest (Rule 14.2e).” The ball must be placed no nearer the hole. The nearest spot must be on the putting green, or, if the ball won’t stay at rest on the putting green, in the general area (i.e. place, not drop, the ball on the apron or in the rough). Repeated placements may be required to find a spot where the ball will ultimately stay at rest, and the eventual spot may be inches or even feet from the original spot.

So, what happens if, after trying to replace the ball twice, it rolls away, and the player plays it from its new resting place?

Answer: Nothing good. He or she is playing from a wrong place (two-stroke penalty in stroke play; loss of hole in match play; Rule 14.7a). Further, a serious breach may be involved (Rule 14.7b). That is, if the ball rolled much closer to the hole, the player may have gained a significant advantage (an easier putt). A serious breach must be corrected - the player must go back and replace/replay the ball properly (see above) and finish the hole. That is, disregard any strokes made from the new position, keep the two-stroke penalty for playing from a wrong place, and complete the hole from the correct spot. The player is disqualified if he or she fails to correct a serious breach before making a stroke from the next teeing area, or in the case of the last hole of the round, before returning their scorecard. The player must also report play of a second ball related to a serious breach to the Committee; otherwise, he or she is disqualified (Rule 14.7b). Yes,

To clarify, the ball does not “own” the spot on the putting green if the player:

• Has not yet marked and lifted the ball, or

• Has only marked the ball

The ball must be played from its new position if it is known or virtually certain that natural forces (wind, water, gravity) subsequently moved the ball (Rule 13.1d(2) and Rule 9.3).

The ball does “own” the spot on the putting green after the ball is:

• Marked, picked up (lifted, Rule 14.1) and replaced

• Placed after taking relief (e.g., temporary water, mole run, strokeand-distance) on the putting green (Clarification 13.1d(2)/1)

• Marked and rotated in place (lifted, Rule 14.1) for alignment

• Moved other than by natural forces and replaced (e.g, another player opponent marks, lifts, and replaces the ball on the putting green)

The ball must be replaced and played from its original spot (estimated if unknown) no matter what caused the ball to move (Rule 13.1d(2) and Exception 1 t o Rule 9.3).

This edition of the Rules Center features an excerpt from MAGA Rules Official John Thorman’s e-book Let’s Get It Right

Each Season, we rely on our volunteers to help keep things running smoothly. We always welcome new volunteers. There are multiple ways you can help out whether it be at championsips or course ratings. You do not have to be an expert starting out; we will help guide you when you first begin. Reach out for more information if interested.

Ways You Can Help:

Rules Committee:

>Rules Officials

>Starters

>Scoring Officials

Scoring Committee:

>Collect Scores for Live Scoring

>Post Scores on Scoreboards

>Drive Player Shuttles

>etc.

>Forecaddies

>Pace of Play Monitors

>etc.

Course Rating Committee:

Measure and Calculate the difficulty of a course using the Course Rating System Guide set by the USGA

The Masters: A Spanish Destino

Majors Season is back and as great as ever. The Masters kicked off the start of the majors in true Augusta fashion: anticipation, drama, and triumph. In the weeks leading to The Masters, anticipation and excitement grew as it always does, but this time with an extra layer or two added to the fold. With the first meeting of LIV Golf and PGA Tour players since the drama of last year and with a grim forecast lurking on the horizon, nobody quite knew what to expect of this year’s championship. One thing is for certain, the 2023 Masters Championship is one for the books.

Full of history, twists, and fate, Augusta had all eyes for four days. Before the week began, staff and players were aware that the weekend may bring some unwelcome weather, and boy did it. Thursday’s round gave us the sunny, beautiful Augusta we know and love, but heading towards the weekend the weather took a turn. It brought wind, rain, and cooler temperatures, forcing delays and pushing more golf to be fit into Saturday and Sunday. Players found themselves not only battling each other and the course, but the elements too. Some patrons even found themselves on the brink of disaster, when the winds found the trees off the 17th teeing area, bringing them crashing to the ground on Friday afternoon. Thankfully, no injuries were reported following the incident. As fate would see it though, every year ending in a 3 for the last 60 years has had weather - namely rain - find its way into the championship.

Once you get past all of the weather - though it played its part - you have golf. And the storylines did not fall short this year. Perhaps the most shocking and disappointing to fans around the world was that of fan-favorite Rory McIlroy carding five-over par, leaving him to bow out of the competition with the rest of the players missing the cut. But the memorable and record book moments continued to come throughout the weekend. Finishing up their week in the same boat as Rory, as well as finishing their Masters runs, we saw Masters Champions Sandy Lyle and Larry Mize bid farewell to their time at Augusta on Saturday morning. Not quite finished with his time playing the course, Fred Couples made history as the oldest player to make the cut at the ripe age of 63 years and 187 days. Couples broke the record previously held by Bernhard

Langer at 63 years and 78 days. Finding his way back into yet another record book, Tiger Woods fought his way to three-over par and inside the cut line. Making this cut brought him to 23 consecutive Masters cuts made, which ties the record with Fred Couples and Gary Player. Unfortunately, after playing seven holes of the third round while being battered by the weather and the harrowing scenes of him trying to make it around the course, Woods withdrew from the competition.

Conceivably, the talk of the entire weekend was the performance of amateur Sam Bennett. Firing both first and second round scores of 68, Bennett became the player to hold the second lowest amateur score through 36 holes in Masters history. The weekend rounds proved a tougher for the amateur, but he still managed to finish championship at two-under par and tied for 16th. It was truly a weekend the college student will never forget, being the only amateur to make the cut and getting to play with Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, and Scottie Scheffler.

Despite all the speculation and anticipation, the LIV Golf players came out swinging. After Kevin Na withdrew from an undisclosed illness after nine holes and leaving viewers speculating, other LIV members came out with something to prove. To the dismay of LIV opposers, LIV golfers proved themselves, with 11 out of 17 players making the cut. Big hitters for the weekend were Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka. Phil went into the final round at one-under par and then proceeded to fire a final round seven-under par (65) to move into second place. Koepka came out guns blazing in rounds one and two, carding seven-under and five-

under par, respectively. Sitting in the lead at twelve-under par, it was looking as though it was Brooks’ green jacket to lose. Between the weather and two long days of golf on the weekend, Koepka couldn’t seem to find his rhythm again and subsequently finished tied for second with Mickelson.

At the end of the day, or rather weekend, fate was in the hands of Jon Rahm. The Spaniard remained toe-to-toe with Koepka throughout the weekend with a round one score of seven-under par and round two of three-under par. Both Rahm and Koepka produced third round scores of one-over par, leaving for an exciting final round. Though Rahm fully earned his green jacket with a final round of three-under par, it seems as if it was no coincidence he would bring it home. The stars seemed to align exactly for this outcome. For the past 5 decades, years ending in 3 saw international champions. It feels like no coincidence that for the championship concluding on the date 4/9, Rahm’s order of check in would have his caddie don the bib number 49. Also, it is serendipitous that the 2022 Champion would end his win with a 4-putt and the eventual 2023 Champion would begin his run with a 4-putt. Added to this fate, Sunday, April 9 would have been the birthday of Spanish golf legend Seve Ballestreros. This year also marked the 40th anniversary of Seve’s second Masters victory. It was only fitting that Jon Rahm would end the weekend triumphant and bring Spain its fourth Masters Champion.

Up Next for MAGA

Deadlines

East Side Amateur

Metropolitan Open

US Women’s Open Qualifier

US Girls’ Junior Amateur & US Junior Amateur Qualifier

Amateur Series #2

Keeping Up with the USGA

$30M Commitment Will Drive New Water Resilience Efforts

The United States Golf Association (USGA) is accelerating its work toward a more sustainable game with the deployment of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment toward reducing golf’s use of water.

Registration Deadline

May 3

CC of St. Albans

Gateway National GL Bellerive CC

May 3

May 3

The organization’s $30 million commitment over the next 15 years will advance underutilized strategies and technologies that golf courses can use to economically reduce their use of water, a vital and increasingly regulated natural resource with near- and long-term cost and availability concerns. The work will focus on irrigation optimization, advanced conservation innovation and water sourcing and storage.

Spencer T. Olin GC

May 17

“The long-term economic and environmental sustainability of green-grass golf courses – where more than 25 million people enjoy the game and millions more are employed – will be challenged in certain regions if the game doesn’t advance this critical work now,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA. “We are enthused and impressed by the reductions golf course superintendents have pursued over the past decade, and even more optimistic about the future. The USGA is ready to not only contribute our voice, but also our resources and expertise, to help our golf course partners and ensure golf’s future.”

Stonewolf GC

May Schedule

Amateur Series #1

May 1

May 28

The effort will integrate the longstanding industry leadership of the USGA Green Section – composed of agronomists and turfgrass experts – with university researchers, golf course owners, superintendents, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), regional golf associations, architects, industry partners and water agencies.

Over the next 15 years, the USGA, along with industry allies and practitioners, will:

· Launch and continuously update a water resilience playbook for the game of golf

· Demonstrate underutilized and emerging, research-based practices

· Understand and break down barriers to adoption of proven strategies (including financial barriers)

· Continue to support water resilience research and turfgrass breeding programs

Persimmon Woods GC

Shogren Cup Bellerive CC

May 7-8

East Side Amateur May 13-14

Gateway National GL

US Open Qualifier May 15 Gateway National GL

Metropolitan Open May 17-19 CC of St. Albans

US Women’s Open Qualifier May 24 Bellerive CC

The work toward greater water resilience propels many of the current and emerging practices employed throughout golf, which have already contributed to a 29-percent reduction in golf’s use of water from 2005-2020 (Golf Course Environmental Profile, GCSAA, 2022). The USGA’s initiative will build on that benchmark, with the goal of more widespread adoption nationwide.

“The move toward greater water resilience requires everyone in golf to actively participate and bring their best efforts forward, with golf courses utilizing the assets available to them within their geographic region,” said Matt Pringle, Ph.D., managing director of the USGA Green Section.

“Importantly, this is not about mandates, but an important call to action to the golf industry to work together towards a common goal.”

The organization will also work together with golf courses on sharing best practices and innovations that could be more widely adopted to advance program goals.

To Read More Click Here.

More information on water and golf courses can be found at www.usga.org/greensection.

April Champions

PGA Tour DP World Tour

The Master - Jon Rahm

RBC Heritage - Matthew Fitzpatrick

Zurich Classic of New Orleans - Nick Hardy & Davis Riley

Mexico Open at Vidanta - Tony Finau

Korn Ferry Tour

Astara Chile Classic - Ben Kohles

Veritex Bank Championship - Spencer Levin

LECOM Suncoast Classic - Scott Gutschewski

HomeTown Lenders Championship - Ben Kohles

ISPS Handa Championship - Lucas Herbert

Korea Championship - Pablo Larrazabal

LPGA

DIO Implant LA Open - Ruoning Yin

LOTTE Championship - Grace Kim

The Chevron Championship - Lilia Vu

JM Eagle LA Championship - Hannah Green

Epson Tour

Casino Del Sol Golf Classic - Gigi Stoll

Copper Rock Championship - Savannah Vilaubi

Collegiate Conference Champions (Team)

Conference ACC American

ASUN

Atlantic-10

Big 12

Big 10

Big East

Big Sky

Big South

Big West

Colonial Conference USA

Horizon

Ivy League

MAC

MAAC

Missouri Valley

Mountain West

Northeast

Ohio Valley

Pac-12

Patriot

SEC SoCon

Southland

Summit

Sunbelt

SWAC

WAC

West Coast

Men’s

Georgia Tech University

University of Houston

Liberty University

Davidson College

University of Oklahoma

University of Illinois

Marquette University

University of Northern Colorado

Longwood University

Long Beach State University

University of North Carolina Wilmington

University of North Carolina Charlotte

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Princeton University

Northern Illinois University

Siena College

Illinois State University

San Diego State University

Long Island University

University of Arkansas Little Rock

Stanford University

Lehigh University

University of Florida

East Tennessee State University

Augusta University

University of Missouri - Kansas City

University of Louisiana Lafayette

University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Grand Canyon University

Brigham Young University

Women’s

Clemson University

Southern Methodist University

Lipscomb University

Oklahoma State University

University of Illinois

Xavier University

Sacramento State University

Campbell University

Cal Poly State University

College of Charleston

University of North Texas

University of Wisconsin Green Bay

University of Pennsylvania

Kent State University

Quinnipiac University

Missouri State University

University of New Mexico

Sacred Heart University

Morehead State University

University of Southern California

University of Richmond

Texas A&M

Furman University

Augusta University

University of Denver

University of Louisiana Monroe

Texas Southern University

Sam Houston State University

Pepperdine University

Normandie Project Update: Normandie Remains Open!

Normandie Golf Course will remain open until August 2023, then will close to begin the course reconstruction. If you have been to the course lately, you may have seen some work has already started. Removal of brush and trees began back in December of last year and has continued into this year with tremendous progress being made. Some areas that were once thick brush are now mostly cleared, already transforming the view and providing a glimpse into the future of the course.

Fundraising remains the number one priority during this time. The support from the St. Louis community is vital in this project, so that we can all join together to positively change the lives of the children of North County and beyond.

For a glimpse into the progress being made, click here.

For more information on the Normandie Renovation Project and how you can help, visit https://www.metga.org/nicklaus-and-normandie or contact normandie@metga.org

“The appeal of this project to me was to be involved in an effort that could serve as a catalyst to change needed in our country today, beginning with parts of St. Louis County. Restoring Normandie for a community in need will have a long-lasting positive impact on the lives of youth in St. Louis.”

-Jack Niclaus on his involvement in

Course Design for a New Normandie