PGA Officiating From Residence: Tim Finchem Encourages Call-In Penalties

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem continued the record earlier this week concerning players becoming penalized by fan phone-ins as you're watching television coverage. Finchem, whilst not taking an official stance on the practice, did encourage far more calls of the kind so that you can additional enforce guidelines during tournaments. In doing this, the Commissioner has compromised the integrity of the game and is jeopardizing the tradition of golf itself.

In the Hyundai Tournament of Champions the 2009 season, Camilo Villegas was playing a pitch for an elevated green around 15 yards away from him?ait was his second attempt at exactly the same shot. The ball would fail to make it towards the top of the hill and start to roll back to Villegas. In obvious disgust, Villegas would take the divot produced by his swing and toss it away as the ball rolled back towards him?aan apparent violation of Rule 23-1 (USGA Rule 23-1 states that the loose impediment cannot be removed which will affect the movement of the ball as the ball is in motion.)

Even so, this infraction was not observed by the guidelines official following a group nor by Villegas himself. He would finish out the hole and the very first round of the tournament. Nonetheless, his round wasn't more than. Fans began contacting the PGA Tour (some through twitter) advising them of the guidelines violation, as well as the PGA subsequently concurred. When Villegas arrived at the course on Friday he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

Just two weeks later, European tour mainstay Padraig Harrington would suffer the same plight as Villegas for a distinct rule violation. Harrington was removing his marker from his ball on a putting green in the course of the 1st round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. As he did, the ball would move a small distance (three dimples based on hawk-eyed tv speaking heads) as a result subjecting him to a two-stroke penalty for not replacing the ball.

Harrington contended he believed the ball rolled back into its original position, but TV screens showed otherwise. Slow-motion, high-definition replays showed this was not the situation therefore subjecting Harrington to some penalty after he signed his now incorrect scorecard?alike Villegas he was disqualified from the tournament.

We forgive Mr. Harrington for forgetting to wear his high-definition goggles that previous morning. Before the Harrington incident, debate had already begun about permitting this kind of refereeing. No actual official stance was taken through the PGA, but the opinion consensus was there. Most did not desire to see post-round, tv replay officiating affecting the best outcome of golf tournaments.