PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – Keegan Bradley’s got screwed up, plain and simple.
Bradley played one of the best rounds of the day in Treacherous weather conditions on Saturday He shot the 71, except that the 71 should have been a 69.
He was penalized twice when he marked his ball but left the ball on the green, moved and did not substitute it. One of the many ridiculous rules of golf that have to be modified.
Facing an eagle’s shot from 70 feet on the 16th hole, Bradley marked his ball. A gust of wind moved the ball but did not move the mark. After the ball settled, Bradley recovered the ball and placed it in front of his original mark.
But as per a requirement under Rule 13.1D, Bradley was supposed to play from the new ball position after the wind had blown. The penalty cost him twice, he hit three times and he ended up with a double bogey seven.
“I guarantee most of the entire industry thinks the USGA changed the rule to simplify it — put your currency in, that’s where your ball is,” Bradley said. “So I put down my coin, the ball moved, and a gust of wind came up. I looked at the guys in my group and we all said, ‘Yeah, the coin fell first, it’s all right.'”
“[I] I didn’t even think about it again [the rules official] He came and spoke to me at number 2. [I’m] Proud of the way I handled that because that was tough news, especially with some tough holes in front of me.
Bradley called the tour “one of the best rides of my life.”
“It’s as hard as golf as you’ve ever played,” he said. “This is a tournament you want to play under a number [adverse] Because of the difficulty of the shots. And playing in this wind, playing that way, that was really a really special ride. ”
user, On tough days like SaturdayYou hear the players grumbling about the course setting. Last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, for example, there was a lot of concern about the difficult setup in Bay Hill.
On Saturday, after a massive day of rain and wind, PGA Tour players praised the fair way the track was set up.
“I will say this: All Tours should consult with the PGA Tour on how golf courses are to be constructed,” Chaison Hadley said. “They are doing an absolutely amazing job, and they did it today. I think the tour did a great job preparing it.”
When asked if that was unfair, Rory McIlroy said: ‘No, it’s not, because it was too soft. It was good. The ball was staying. Very difficult conditions but it was fair’.
Sam Ryder said, “I think it’s fair enough. They have moved a pair of tees, which makes them more manageable.”
Cameron Young, a PGA Tour rookie from Scarborough who plays outside Sleepy Hollow, will miss out on his first Players Championship after shooting 71-77 and standing 4 over par. The cut is equal with the completion of Round Two on Sunday.
Several players were asked what they thought a 10 rider would have shot in Saturday conditions.
They’ll be lucky if they finish,” said Kevin Kesner. “At 17, you could be there all day.”
Ryder, who lives in the area and plays the course regularly, said at No. 17, “They might hit the first stage on the green or they might go through their entire bag. A golfer with 10 obstacles is a good golfer, but if it were a coin toss I would put My money is in the water before I’m in the green to start.