Jimmy Walker admits to regularly breaking rule of golf on Twitter

What do people think of the twitter trail? (view the comments to see Jimmy's posts)

In summary, he admits to not marking a ball when it may assist players he likes. He also says he often asks the other player whether he would like him to leave his ball. Currently the rules clearly state that the penalty is disqualification for this if the other player agrees.

I'm sure this is rampant on tour, but to admit to it in writing is not the smartest thing Jimmy will ever do.

In the trail he also tells Michael Clayton, a former professional golfer that played in 9 Open Championships, that golf is hard and he should "try it sometime".

Twitter is ripping Jimmy to shreds because of this

What do people think of the twitter trail? (view the comments to see Jimmy's posts)

 

In summary, he admits to not marking a ball when it may assist players he likes. He also says he often asks the other player whether he would like him to leave his ball. Currently the rules clearly state that the penalty is disqualification for this if the other player agrees.

 

I'm sure this is rampant on tour, but to admit to it in writing is not the smartest thing Jimmy will ever do.

 

https://twitter.com/...8763453452?s=19

 

In the trail he also tells Michael Clayton, a former professional golfer that played in 9 Open Championships, that golf is hard and he should "try it sometime".

 

Twitter is ripping Jimmy to shreds because of this

OMG, Walker's wife (I think) is on their arguing also, gimme a f'n break....

Stand up for your man.....lmao.

Wow, that was a pretty open admission to intentionally breaking the rule. I curious what kinda fallout comes of this.

This is obvious and some reporters have been complaining about this for quite some time now. Not Jimmy in particular, just across the tour as a whole. Happens every day of every tournament it seems. Protecting the field almost doesn't exist anymore. Will be interested to see if anything happens, but I'm doubtful.

Say it ain't so....getting ripped on Twitter....

Per tourney wonder how much this "advantage" comes up in total....also would have to get both parties to fess up so they could accept a penalty...good luck with that.

Say it ain't so....getting ripped on Twitter....

 

Per tourney wonder how much this "advantage" comes up in total....also would have to get both parties to fess up so they could accept a penalty...good luck with that.

As far as when it actually works, almost 0% , which is why I don't really care. As far as how often this situation happens, almost 100% of the time I'd guess. Jimmy has nothing to fear, this is no secret to the tour. Will only change if somehow a major or something is determined by it, which in theory could happen someday, but that's pretty insane thinking. Or even better, just go to where a ball can't be moved at all and bring the stymie back. Ha, it's always something.

I bet you he marks his ball when he plays with DJ.

I don't understand why guys are trying to help their opponent

What if you lose a tournament by 1 stroke to a guy because you helped stop his ball?

It's the PGA Tour, wake up, they've been cheating for years, it's a entertainment business. So sad!

ON the other hand, not marking does speed up play.

ON the other hand, not marking does speed up play.

This^^^^

It reduces dicking around on the greens.

There will likely be 20 pages on this one. I have no problem with it. The guys are aiming at the hole which is 4.25" wide and rarely hit it. What are the odds they are going to aim at and hit a 1.68" object? There are likely tons of things guys have done over the years which are commonly accepted ("Hey, I've got a ball mark here" or "My balls scuffed. I'm going to replace it." Nobody looks and just nods or says "OK.").

Sort of like your boss saying, "It's 9:01. I'm docking you a days pay!!"

I bet you he marks his ball when he plays with DJ.

Why? Do they have beef?

I bet you he marks his ball when he plays with DJ.

 

Why? Do they have beef?

Nevermind, I just did some research.

A strange admission, but under R22 is a player actually required to lift his ball? The wording there is "may" not "must" and unless he doesn't lift when asked and there is no agreement to waive the rule, I'm not sure what there is to penalize.

Is a rule actually being broken?

How TF does it help his "friend"?

Hahahaha. I can’t believe Walker just posted that in a public forum: “I’ve asked, ‘do you want me to leave the ball?’”. If he Other player says yes or nods and you’re both DQ’d. I wonder if that Lyme disease damaged his Brian cells.

I have to admit, this is a weird one as far as the responses here goes. I absolutely can not believe anyone is OK with this practice.

To me it is unequivocally cheating.

How TF does it help his "friend"?

If the second player hits his ball too hard and the first players ball stops it, or slows it down, and his ball ends up closer to the hole than it would have been if it had not hit the first players ball, it is a huge advantage.

It happens more often than people think. There are lots of video examples of it. The problem with it is, the second player recieves an unfair benefit and the first player is not penalized because he is simply required to replace his ball as near to its original spot as possible.

Players have deliberately been leaving their balls near the hole to help other players for years now. 20 years ago you NEVER saw this. It started quietly in the last decade or so with buddies helping buddies and now nearly all of them do it as a type of “courtesy” to the other player. If you go up and mark your ball these days, as you are SUPPOSED TO DO, you are looked at by the other guys like a jerk.

Well it has been applied in low level professional golf.

Here in the Philippines a pro got DQ'd for telling another pro to stop. Even if the pro's reason for telling him to stop was that he was already over the ball and ready to hit. Last hole and leading but was DQ'd from his maiden victory on that tour.

If he'd gone with the 'speeds up play' angle then no issue, but openly saying that he does not mark the ball for players he likes and not for players he does not like may be bluntly honest but brings the integrity of the game into question.

Then goes for the classic pro line when questioned 'if you played you'd know' to a 20 year Tour Pro.

smh

If he'd gone with the 'speeds up play' angle then no issue, but openly saying that he does not mark the ball for players he likes and not for players he does not like may be bluntly honest but brings the integrity of the game into question.

 

Then goes for the classic pro line when questioned 'if you played you'd know' to a 20 year old Tour Pro.

 

smh

Yes. That little exchange with Michael was classic. He played pro golf for 2 decades. That’s EXACTLY why he has the right to question the practice. LOL!!

It reads to me as though JW didn't know that was a rules infraction. Hard to say for sure but just reading between the lines in his response to Clayton. He's going to wish he never commented on the subject.

Not good. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut, and "the committee" might give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he can fix it by claiming his twitter account was hacked.

It reads to me as though JW didn't know that was a rules infraction. Hard to say for sure but just reading between the lines in his response to Clayton. He's going to wish he never commented on the subject.

You know what? I was thinking the same thing. Why on earth would you say such a thing to a world audience unless you didn’t understand the severity of what you were saying?

He and everyone else has been doing it so long that maybe he doesn’t understand it’s a problem.

It's the PGA Tour, wake up, they've been cheating for years, it's a entertainment business. So sad!

Amen, just another TV reality show created for no other purpose than to sell Buicks and Viagra.

Hahahaha. I can’t believe Walker just posted that in a public forum: “I’ve asked, ‘do you want me to leave the ball?’”. If he Other player says yes or nods and you’re both DQ’d. I wonder if that Lyme disease damaged his Brian cells.

 

I have to admit, this is a weird one as far as the responses here goes. I absolutely can not believe anyone is OK with this practice.

To me it is unequivocally cheating.

Brian cells? Is this like when the Germans invaded Pearl Harbor?

Walker obviously doesn't have a clue who Mike Clayton is and cant be expexted to its a big world out there but as mentioned Clayton played many majors and golf worldwide for 20 years and been a very successful course designer and renovator in partnership with Geoff Ogilvy in Australia.

Now for something ironic- Walker played in the world cup in 2016 at Kingston Heath in Melbourne, one of his few visits outside of the USA other than to play The Open and shock horror Clayton had a hand in designing the 19th hole a few other course changes.

Using the rules of golf in your favor isn't cheating, it's smart. They screw you often enough, get one back when you can.

Hahahaha. I can’t believe Walker just posted that in a public forum: “I’ve asked, ‘do you want me to leave the ball?’”. If he Other player says yes or nods and you’re both DQ’d. I wonder if that Lyme disease damaged his Brian cells.

 

I have to admit, this is a weird one as far as the responses here goes. I absolutely can not believe anyone is OK with this practice.

To me it is unequivocally cheating.

 

Brian cells? Is this like when the Germans invaded Pearl Harbor?

Wink, wink. ; )

.....and hell no! It ain’t over till WE say it’s over!!

How TF does it help his "friend"?

 

If the second player hits his ball too hard and the first players ball stops it, or slows it down, and his ball ends up closer to the hole than it would have been if it had not hit the first players ball, it is a huge advantage.

 

It happens more often than people think. There are lots of video examples of it. The problem with it is, the second player recieves an unfair benefit and the first player is not penalized because he is simply required to replace his ball as near to its original spot as possible.

 

Players have deliberately been leaving their balls near the hole to help other players for years now. 20 years ago you NEVER saw this. It started quietly in the last decade or so with buddies helping buddies and now nearly all of them do it as a type of "courtesy" to the other player. If you go up and mark your ball these days, as you are SUPPOSED TO DO, you are looked at by the other guys like a jerk.

Post a couple please!

I see it happen on par 3's and shots from the fairways, but rarely around the green.