Saw on Tour event something I’ve never seen, ball marker swap

[ChaosTheory]

Player A had a long, winding putt from off the green.  Player B’s ball marker is somewhere in the general path of the putt.  Player A hands B a smaller marker and asks him to swap it for the bigger marker that is already on the green.  He does it, no problem. (I believe he replaced the ball, then swapped.)

 

I’ve never seen this.  Just found it pretty interesting.  Anyone have any war stories about something like this?  With all of the poker chips….

[cardoustie]

Most guys that play tourney golf know to carry a second smaller darker ball marker  

[cardoustie]

I’ve seen a player hit the wrong ball in a national event … both balls in the rough, and handful of yards apart, both players using same brand and number … didn’t mark and identify their hidden sharpie work 

 

first ball OB over the green.  Par w second ball though

[naval2006]

22 minutes ago, Snowman9000 said:

Player A had a long, winding putt from off the green.  Player B’s ball marker is somewhere in the general path of the putt.  Player A hands B a smaller marker and asks him to swap it for the bigger marker that is already on the green.  He does it, no problem. (I believe he replaced the ball, then swapped.)

 

I’ve never seen this.  Just found it pretty interesting.  Anyone have any war stories about something like this?  With all of the poker chips….

I've seen and done that.  Just to avoid moving the marker.

[Mr. Bean]

Around here there are such "poker chips" on the market that has a smaller marker attached to it in the center. Quite handy for such occasions as described by OP. Although as a poker chip user I personally prefer having one additional plastic marker in my pocket that is very thin with a small stick at the bottom to make it stay in place when pushed into the green.

[ThinkingPlus]

It is pretty standard here that we all carry the thin, flat markers with a spike in addition to markers on hats or divot tools (same as @Mr. Bean indicated). Instead of moving the more obtrusive markers, players will request a "flat marker" instead. Minimal putt interference if the ball happens to roll over the flatter marker. Most of the time this occurs on longer putts where the line isn't well known.

[Hawkeye77]

25 minutes ago, ThinkingPlus said:

It is pretty standard here that we all carry the thin, flat markers with a spike in addition to markers on hats or divot tools (same as @Mr. Bean indicated). Instead of moving the more obtrusive markers, players will request a "flat marker" instead. Minimal putt interference if the ball happens to roll over the flatter marker. Most of the time this occurs on longer putts where the line isn't well known.

 

"You putting your beer on that coaster?" in our bunch reminds guys to remember to keep the poker chips in the pocket when they are likely in the way, lol.  

 

But, tempest in a teapot.  

 

Sounds like the OP has started a thread about something that happened on Tour, consistent with the Rules and a well done "nod" to the players for being rules following gentlemen ---- hope for the human race after all or a sign of the Apocalypse?

Edited January 17 by Hawkeye77

[Pepperturbo]

1 hour ago, Mr. Bean said:

Around here there are such "poker chips" on the market that has a smaller marker attached to it in the center. Quite handy for such occasions as described by OP. Although as a poker chip user I personally prefer having one additional plastic marker in my pocket that is very thin with a small stick at the bottom to make it stay in place when pushed into the green.

Yep, that's what I use. 

A normal-sized poker chip with my favorite course's logo, with a much smaller magnetic marker in center.

[OnTheBag]

4 hours ago, Snowman9000 said:

Player A had a long, winding putt from off the green.  Player B’s ball marker is somewhere in the general path of the putt.  Player A hands B a smaller marker and asks him to swap it for the bigger marker that is already on the green.  He does it, no problem. (I believe he replaced the ball, then swapped.)

 

I’ve never seen this.  Just found it pretty interesting.  Anyone have any war stories about something like this?  With all of the poker chips….

It happens quite a bit, especially on long putts where the line is a guess.  On the LPGA, the ladies enjoy their "blingy" ball markers but all carry a small, flat marker for instances like you describe.  

[ChaosTheory]

Just now, OnTheBag said:

It happens quite a bit, especially on long putts where the line is a guess.  On the LPGA, the ladies enjoy their "blingy" ball markers but all carry a small, flat marker for instances like you describe.  

 

The interesting part to me was that the one player gave the other player a marker and asked him to use it.  Maybe he asked the player if he had a smaller one of his own, and he didn't.  I think the guy who had to swap markers was the winner, Grayson Murray.  

[Shilgy]

On 1/17/2024 at 5:57 AM, cardoustie said:

I’ve seen a player hit the wrong ball in a national event … both balls in the rough, and handful of yards apart, both players using same brand and number … didn’t mark and identify their hidden sharpie work 

 

first ball OB over the green.  Par w second ball though

Why were they both not penalized for playing a wrong ball?   Same brand and number ….no id…..

 

Oh, or are you saying they were marked(sharpied ) but neither player bothered to ID as theirs?  And they got lucky and played the correct ball.

[antip]

Swapping out larger ball-markers for smaller or flatter ones is very common in my neck of the woods. 

[Mr. Bean]

5 hours ago, antip said:

Swapping out larger ball-markers for smaller or flatter ones is very common in my neck of the woods. 

 

"Neck of the woods"

 

I simply adore this idiom. Literally it has nothing to do with it's meaning but it just has that thing in it.