Juli Inkster Causes LPGA to Make Weighty DQ Decision
by Ryan Ballengee on Aug 22, 2010 3:54 PM EDT
in Pro Golf
Email
Print
At 50 years old, any golfer has aches and pains during a round of golf. For many, the worst possible thing that can happen to them is a slow round. Joints and muscles stiffen up, and often cause a loss of momentum.
In the second round of the Safeway Classic at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon, Juli Inkster encountered that kind of hold-up. Standing on the 10th tee, Inkster stood on the tee box for thirty minutes while waiting to tee off on the hole. The slow play caused her to stiffen up, so she took out a swing weight - shaped like a donut for a baseball bat - put it on her club, and swung around to keep loose while waiting.
That broke Rule 14-3/10 of the Rules of Golf, which prohibits the use of a swing or training aid during competition. An astute LPGA viewer saw the violation on Golf Channel, phoned in the infraction to the LPGA Tour offices. They reviewed the Golf Channel tape, confirmed the violation, and informed Inkster after her round of the disqualification.
Inkster did not talk to the press after the round, but did eventually issue a statement saying, "I had a 30-minute wait and I needed to loosen up. It had no effect on my game whatsoever, but it is what it is. I'm very disappointed."
Sue Witters from the LPGA Tour delivered the verdict to Inkster, along with another staffer. It was an easy decision, but tough to share.
"There was no malice. Her sole reason for doing it was because she had been waiting for 30 minutes and to warm up. The rules staff here all knew the decision and the rule and took it one step further, called the USGA, because that's a penalty that you never want to give anyone if it's not deserved.
"And we would have loved to have had some wiggle room on that, but it's pretty cut and dry… but being the professional Juli is, there wasn't much to say once the decision was read."
We're not aware of penalties handed out to groups in front of Inkster for slow play - clearly the case anytime a thirty minute weight occurs.
21 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Couple of quick points – I have GOT to get up there and see the doughnuts you have. That’s not a doughnut shaped weight – it’s egg shaped. The “IGotcha Ready” swing trainer is a pretty cool little device that can be moved to different parts of the shaft for different drills as well as just warming up. http://www.prolinesports.biz/Ready.htm The guy in the video is the inventor – hilarious guy. One of those guys who could sell ice to an eskimo.
The reason for the backup was not slow play. That course has three par 5’s back to back and they are all reachable by a lot of the field, Part of the field was laying up and the other part was standing back in the fairway waiting for the green to clear. Three holes like that in a row can really clog up traffic.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Not Inkster-related.
This Arjun Atwal is one cool character.
I pick him to win if there’s a playoff.
Interesting thing if he does win – he will be the third non- PGA Tour card holder to win an event this year. (Graeme McDowell and Louie Oosthuizen are the other two) The win would get Atwal his card back plus two more years exempt – BUT – he won’t get the Fed Ex Cup points that go with the win and would put him somewhere around 80th.
He’s also a truly nice guy. Surprised me how funny he is when I met him a couple of years ago.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Two against one, Wendy, just isn't fair with an opponent like Court.
We’d need 32 or so against one to level the playing field.
Met him a couple of years ago in Valdosta before the Nationwide Tour event at Kinderlou Forest. He was excited about being able to play a 7800 yard course and really let the shaft out for more than a couple of holes. Funny guy – he was trading movie trvia with a couple of caddies. (so it was before the scourge of Obama) (lol)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Thank Goodness, No Spew of Obama Derangement Syndrome
It’s listed in a subsection of 307.23 in DSM IV.
by Charles Boyer on Aug 23, 2010 8:35 AM EDT up reply actions
I find it interesting that Inkster would say that using the swing weight had no effect on her game…I mean, isn’t the whole purpose of why she took it out to keep her swing loose? I would say that it would have a direct effect on her game by using it.
What constitutes a swing trainer/aid? Could she have instead just swung 2 clubs to keep loose (although I find that difficult myself)? Could she have duct taped 10 golf balls to her shaft instead? Or would anything that would “aid” in a swing be a penalty once the tourney had started?
I write about golf at www.tees2greens.com, too.
red – the stickler is that she attached something to the club – it seems awfully picky since she didn’t hit a ball with it on the club – and later they made the point that if Ai Miyazato had pulled out stretching bands to stretch out, that would be legal – just don’t attach anything to a club.
Now I’m wondering if the history of this rule goes back to the days when players had clubs for every conceivable shot and might attach something to hit a different shot. Not something you see anymore with production clubs.
And you’re right – if her back was stiff before swinging with the weight and loose after, it definitely affected her swing.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Would Swinging Several Clubs Be Legal?
Seems that takiing 2-3 clubs in hand and swinging them back and forth might be illegal (they would be in contact in the palms) but then again might be okay because they aren’t attached and are legal implements anyway.
Anybody know?
by Charles Boyer on Aug 23, 2010 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Had Inkster started her round yet ?
If not , the rule specifies that a player can use this equipment prior to the start of a round. I know she was on the 10th tee, but had she already played 9 holes or was she just starting ? If her round had not started yet then Julie got a bad call made on her.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Have a golf story tip? Contact editor Charles Boyer and he will follow the story! Thanks!
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
