Caddies Mixed On How & When To Report A Violation
/There was much outrage over the coverage over of a possible violation by Sergio Garcia, and subsequently even more concern over a caddie rightly turning Rory McIlroy in for an obvious violation less than two days later at the place where rules fiascos go to happen: Abu Dhabi.
Check out Alex Miceli's Golfweek item from the Humana Challenge, a half-world away from the nerve center of rules fiascos. Miceli talked to several caddies about the role that Dave Remnick played in spotting and reporting Rory's violation to the lad on the 18th hole. (Personally, I can't think of a better way to have handled it.)
Jay Haas Jr. has played professional golf and is a caddie for his brother Bill. Haas Jr. agrees that Renwick has the right to say something at the time of the incident to try and stop a violation – or at the very least tell his player so he can step in.
“I wouldn't wait until the 18th hole, and if I waited until the 18th hole, I don't know that I would say anything at that point,” Haas Jr. said.
Damon Green, who caddies for Zach Johnson, has played professionally off and on, including on the Champions Tour. Like Smith, Green is a veteran caddie and was on Scott Hoch’s bag for many years.
“I'd have to tell my player probably and let him deal with it right at the moment,” Green said. “I don't think it's our job to get involved in the rules, really.”
Green’s position as a player is similar; he would want the caddie to come to him and not his playing competitor.
“I'd be upset with him,” Green said. “But is it worth a firing offense or anything? I don't think so, unless you spelled it out beforehand. That's a very weird situation.”
First of all, this whole Carson-to-their-Lord-Grantham thing with some caddies is a bit much. Still, I understand that big egos want their loopers to be servants.
However, the bigger concern I have in reading between the lines is the suggestion that a subsection of the rules in professional golf allows for wiggle room. It's as if certain things that go on during a golf tournament are best left to the players to decide and not a place for fans, officials or even caddies in a group to suggest are possible violations worthy of further inquiry.
Anyone else getting that vibe? And if so, does anyone else find this as troubling as I do?