Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Landry is the one guilty of garbage.. just learn the rules
I NOW have two reasons to file Andrew Landry under ‘I’ for Irritating.
The first dates back to the 2016 US Open when the American’s scattergun fourth round did little to enhance Shane Lowry’s prospects of securing a maiden major.
Landry and the Clara man were in the final pairing and I’ve always felt his crash and burn 78 went a long way to detonating Lowry’s focus and momentum.
Doubt is contagious and both fell out of contention, Shane shooting a final round 76 to finish three shots off eventual champion Dustin Johnson.
Landry had me sighing again this week when he branded the recent rule changes “garbage”.
He even went as far as arguing that the PGA Tour should fight for its own rules and only abide by the R&A and USGA regulations at the Open and US Open.
What a ludicrous suggestion. His outburst was in response to Adam Schenk being retrospectively penalised two strokes because his caddie Mark Carens stood directly behind him during last week’s Honda Classic.
Whatever you think of that rule, its primary aim is to avoid caddies being in a position to line up their players and limit scope for further delays in play. It’s not rocket science and should be easy to follow.
At the end of the day, the new changes have been introduced for two reasons – to simplify the game and speed it up.
As I see it, a major part of the problem is professional golfers not wanting to take responsibility for knowing the rule book.
Too many rely on referees to sort it out.
I would estimate that 80 percent of players wouldn’t pass a rules test and I know it’s a source of annoyance for officials, who are being needlessly called upon to make simple rulings. It’s a major factor in slowing down the pace of play.
The bottom line is that players are responsible for how quickly they get around the course. It is also incumbent on them to enhance and protect the integrity of the sport.
You ought to know what you can and cannot do; the onus is on players to police their actions and that of their playing partner.
I feel strongly that we are at a crossroads in golf.
We should all be striving to root out any potential cheating and maintain the highest standards of conduct.
Respect for the rules is paramount and it is vital players and caddies lead by example.
They should be adhering to the rulebook and maintaining the values of golf, not sniping on social media and calling out governing bodies.
Those who opt for the latter are bringing the game into disrepute.