Men's US Amateur Bandon Dunes

[Kalen Braley]

Just a reminder that you're looking at Joe Hancock's work on all of the bunkers out here.

Sven,


Thanks for the reminder, they look fantastic.  When i turned on the coverage, they were showing approach shots to 14 green and I didn't even recognize it at first due to the upgraded bunkers...

[William_G]

yes thanks Sven, DMK should mention Joe no doubt

[JLahrman]

Are they using Bandon Dunes for all the match play rounds?

[William_G]

Are they using Bandon Dunes for all the match play rounds?

yes, of course

[JLahrman]

Are they using Bandon Dunes for all the match play rounds?

yes, of course

Hoping the final ends on the 16th, I'm assuming.

[William_G]

LOL anywhere after the 1st as it's 36 on Sunday

[Pete_Pittock]

Please remember our dear friend Bill McBride who will be virtually spectatating from the back back tee of the 3rd hole. A great place to oversee the main paddock.  I hope the impressive clubhead speeds won't dislodge him. Tee shot launches toward the Pacific, and the short walk from the Pac Dunes clubhouse were consequential in in his setting.

[John Kirk]

Johnny Obvious says:
It sure is a nice golf course.  All of the holes from 11 to 18 are great fun to play.  And it sure is fun watching them play a course I know very well.

[Matt_Cohn]

That was hard to watch today.

[JLahrman]

That was hard to watch today.

The wind beating up the players?


Or the caddy building sand castles in the bunker on 18?


WTF was he thinking? How can you not at least suspect that you shouldn't be doing that? Was that the first time in five rounds week that he tested the sand in that manner? Was it a Bandon caddie or the player's own caddy? Never seen anything like that.

[Cal Seifert]

I heard that it was a local bandon caddy. Ouch.

[jeffwarne]

Really sad on all fronts.


You would be amazed how many people assume caddies know the rules well.
A particularly sticky wicket in tournaments as "often wrong but never in doubt" can be a formula for disaster.


I had a similar incident when my son raked the back of a bunker where an earlier player had failed to clean up-BEFORE I hit my bunker shot from about 40 feet away the area he had raked. Fortunately, that was after the rule regarding this had changed(no penalty)but it didn't stop my fellow competitor from having a full on freak out, not accepting my interpretation or that of two other on site rules officials.


My personal favorite line is "the caddy kept score"

[Tim Martin]

If the caddie did everything the same minus the hand action would there still be a penalty? Say he got in and walked a step or two and then turned around and walked out?

[JESII]

Did Strafaci have the option to effectively waive the penalty?


Pretty high stakes to be giving something away, but I’d like to think I would.

[JLahrman]

Did Strafaci have the option to effectively waive the penalty?

Pretty high stakes to be giving something away, but I’d like to think I would.

I don't think that's ever an option.

[JMEvensky]

Did Strafaci have the option to effectively waive the penalty?


Pretty high stakes to be giving something away, but I’d like to think I would.

Double DQ I think.

[John Kavanaugh]

It’s like letting the Nazi prisoner live in Saving Private Ryan. Every time I have waived a rule in a money game it has come back to bite me.

[JESII]

Really strange...and now that I read the article in which the caddy denies touching the sand it’s tough to feel too bad for him.

[John Kavanaugh]

Pine Valley should offer the caddie a job. I have had to beg caddies to stop cheating in the past. Nice to see one caught on tape.

[Carl Johnson]

I'm not at the caddie user level, but one would think that at courses like at Bandon Dunes Resort they would have a fairly good knowledge of at least the basic rules, in which I would include testing the sand.  One would also think they'd not lie about what they've done.  All very clear on TV replays.

[JLahrman]

Really strange...and now that I read the article in which the caddy denies touching the sand it’s tough to feel too bad for him.

I didn't hear exactly what he said, I couldn't tell if he denied touching the sand or if he denied that he was testing it when he touched it. Seems crazy that he would lie about touching it when multiple people saw him and TV cameras were around, but maybe he just panicked when he was asked. If he is a Bandon caddie maybe he hasn't caddied/played in many official competitions. But I have never heard of or seen anyone do that, apart from picking out a rock (and he wasn't near his player's ball).

[Kalen Braley]

As I was watching it I was like, I know they recently changed the rules, but I don't think that's allowed.

P.S.  I assumed it was a known associate he brought along to caddy and was thinking that's gonna be a very awkward trip home.  Either way, just a brutal way to get bounced from the tourney after making it thru stroke play and surviving in the rounds of 64 and 32...

[Kalen Braley]

Did Strafaci have the option to effectively waive the penalty?

Pretty high stakes to be giving something away, but I’d like to think I would.

Double DQ I think.

Rule 1.3 is interesting.  Apparently you can't waive a rule, unless both of you claim ignorance of that rule and then its OK?

That seems bizarre that rules don't apply if players claim to not know they exist.

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rule-1-interpretations.html

[SL_Solow]

Players cannot agree to waive a Rule.  But in a match, a player can choose to look the other way.  Once the infraction is called, it is too late.  Interesting to note that it was the other caddy who called the infraction and that he is Strafaci's father.

[Sven Nilsen]

There's a ton to the story that folks will never know, but the short of it is the local caddie had a total brain fart. 


He's a good kid, had worked hard to get his player to the round of 16, and was fully engaged in their mission.  He feels horrible about it. 


Should never have happened, but the Bandon caddies are trying to help him get through this.