Keegan Bradley victim of inane penalty at Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Keegan Bradley acquired screwed, plain and easy.

Bradley performed top-of-the-line rounds of the day in Saturday’s treacherous climate circumstances and shot 71, besides that 71 ought to have been a 69.

He was penalized two pictures when he marked his ball however left the ball on the inexperienced, it moved and he didn’t substitute it. One of golf’s many ridiculous guidelines that ought to be modified.

Facing an eagle putt from 70 ft on the sixteenth gap, Bradley marked his ball. A gust of wind moved the ball however not the marker. After it got here to relaxation, Bradley retrieved the ball and positioned it forward of his authentic mark.

But in response to a provision beneath Rule 13.1 D, Bradley was presupposed to play from the ball’s new location after the gust of wind. It price him the two-shot penalty, and he three-putted and ended up with double-bogey seven.

“I assure a lot of the whole area thought the USGA modified the rule to simplify it — put your coin down, that’s the place your ball is,’’ Bradley mentioned. “So put my coin down, the ball moved, an enormous gust of wind got here up. I seemed on the guys in my group and all of us mentioned, ‘Yep, the coin was down first, all good.’

“[I] didn’t give it some thought once more till [the rules official] got here up and spoke to me on No. 2. [I’m] happy with the way in which I dealt with that as a result of that was powerful information, particularly with some powerful holes in entrance of me.’’

Bradley referred to as the spherical “certainly one of my greatest rounds of my life.’’

“This is as powerful as golf as you’re ever going to play,’’ he mentioned. “This is a course you wish to play beneath no [adverse] circumstances due to how powerful the pictures are. And to play on this wind, to play like that, that was actually, actually a particular spherical.’’

Usually, on troublesome days like Saturday, you hear gamers moaning in regards to the course set-up. Last week on the Arnold Palmer Invitational, for instance, there was plenty of grousing in regards to the troublesome set-up at Bay Hill.

On Saturday, after brutal day of rain and wind, gamers praised the PGA Tour for the honest means during which is ready up the course.

“I’ll say this: All excursions ought to seek the advice of with the PGA Tour on the best way to arrange golf programs,’’ Chesson Hadley mentioned. “They do a completely wonderful job, they usually did so right now. I believe the Tour did a terrific job setting it up.’’

Asked if it was unfair, Rory McIlroy mentioned, “No, it’s not, as a result of it was so gentle. It was advantageous. The ball was staying. Very powerful circumstances, nevertheless it was honest.’’

Sam Ryder mentioned, “I believe it’s honest sufficient. They moved a few tees round, so it makes it somewhat extra manageable.’’

Cameron Young, the PGA Tour rookie from Scarborough who performs out of Sleepy Hollow, goes to overlook the lower in his first Players Championship after taking pictures 71-77 and standing 4-over-par. The lower is even-par getting into Sunday’s completion of the second spherical.

Several gamers have been requested what they assume a ten handicapper would have shot within the Saturday circumstances.

“They’d be fortunate to complete,’’ Kevin Kisner mentioned. “On 17, you would be there all day.’’
Ryder, who lives within the space and performs the course usually, mentioned on No. 17, “They may hit the primary one on the inexperienced or they could undergo their complete bag. A ten-handicapper is an effective golfer, but when it was a coin flip, I’d put my cash on it being within the water earlier than being on the inexperienced to begin.’’