Arnie's army remembers a most revered hero

The author is expressing his views on Golf

Arnold Palmer is not there anymore, but he is everywhere. Tens of thousands of patrons (spectators at the Masters) sported a large button which proudly declared “I am a member of Arnie’s army’. That army was a force multiplier to the primeval energy that was Arnie and egged him on to his famous ‘charge’ that caused him to win often, even against great odds. A great champion alright, but what made him a legend in his lifetime, honoured and revered by one and all, was his unfailing grace, courtesy, kindness and a smile for all players, to the thronging fans demanding autographs, to the service staff at innumerable functions, to the sponsors of each event he entered, and of course for the invaluable advice he freely offered to up and coming young golfers.

This year’s flagging off of the Masters championship by honourary starters was the most emotion laden ever. Chairman Billy Payne delivered a fitting eulogy to the most ‘pre-eminent of heros’ and then draped Arnie’s green jacket over Kit Palmer’s (Arnold’s wife, who had been specially invited for the occasion) shoulders, while the two surviving starters, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, both great friends of Arnold, nervously and emotionally, kidded each other as to who drove the longest off the tee that morning. Jack doffed his cap and raised his eyes heavenward in a final tribute to the departed ‘King’. It had ceased raining at 4:00 am but there was scarcely a face without considerable moisture on it at 8:00 am this morning.

Much in the news has been the rather harsh four stroke penalty that was visited on Lexi Thomson last week. Jack Nicklaus, the winner of the most majors and innumerable other tournaments, summed it up best. He said that he is always extremely careful when marking his ball on the green, always going well past the ball and placing his marker directly behind his ball in the general direction of where he is likely to putt from that position. This way, when he replaces the ball, it is almost exactly on the spot from where he lifted it in the first place.

But many players, and in this instance Lexi, are not always so careful and end up placing their marker on the side of the ball because of not taking the trouble to go past the ball so as to place the marker directly behind it. Thus, when the ball is replaced in front of the marker, the position of the ball may have shifted up to an inch from the original spot. (By the way at the Delhi Golf Club, and possibly at other clubs in India, where non-competition players do not typically mark their balls themselves, preferring that their caddies do it, the problem of proper replacement of the ball is endemic and they should all be penalised or learn to have their ball marked correctly!). Therefore a two stroke penalty was is in order for Lexi. In this honourable sport, players typically call penalties on themselves for unknowingly transgressing rules. Lexi transgressed but she did not know that she had.

However, for a TV viewer to call in the foul about 24 hours later when the player has obviously already filled in her card, without adding two shots for the penalty which she did not know she had incurred, and for the rules administration to take cognisance of this by docking a further two shots for therefore signing a wrong score card, has caused consternation throughout the golfing world at every level.

There is zero doubt that this rule will change, and because playing partners may not spot intentional or unintentional infractions, the role of armchair rules officials is likely to be limited to the day the infraction occurred and that also up to the time the score card is signed by the player and the marker. Else, the rules will continue to be a mockery of justice. 

So, the hurly burly portend of the witches is still not done! The clear odds-on tournament favourite, Dustin Johnson, has been injured and is not playing; the. 30-50 mph gusting winds on this cold day, easily slice through ones clothing and stab one with near icy fingers; pine cones and needles and other assorted flora floated onto greens causing an army of attendants to constantly remove these offending items with electric blowers; most players wear drain pipe trousers so there is no flapping around in the wind when they are putting on these treacherous surfaces; sudden gusts lifted up sand from bunkers onto fairways and greens and several patrons had to chase down their caps/hats as they flew off unexpectedly; and those, like Pieter’s and Michelson, who quickly climbed the ladder into red figures were bitten by dangerous snakes sitting atop those ladders and tumbled down to reality pretty quickly.

What is brewing in that cauldron?

Jordan Spieth had another quadruple bogey when he was vying for a birdie on the easy par 5 fifteenth; several of the leaders on the money list were seen floundering and the clubhouse lead was taken by the unheralded Charlie Hoffman at -7. 11 players are under par with only two in the 60s. The course played to 74.95 instead of 72 so one can gauge the difficulties today. Friday will be less severe but will otherwise offer more of the same. Those who pass through these gruelling two days will be rewarded with near perfect playing conditions over the weekend and we should see some really low scores and new records could be set. I still favour Rickie Fowler as someone whose time must come, however one expects that Rory might finally win the Grand Slam.  Any takers?