Golf is perhaps the only professional sport where players call penalties on themselves.
I remember when Hale Irwin called a penalty on himself that no one saw but him. He was asked why he called it since no one else saw it. His response was, “I SAW IT”.
Dustin Johnson made a boo boo when he mistakenly grounded his club in a waste bunker causing him to miss a three way playoff for the Wannamaker Trophy. His excuse was, I did not know that it was a bunker. He failed to read the handout given to all of the players on the local rules. He was assessed 2 strokes and yet again came close to winning a major, but not that day. Whose fault was it? It was his and his alone. Read the rules and abide by them.
A week later, Julie Inkster suffered the same fate by not observing the rules. Only this time, Julie was disqualified. Did the punishment fit the crime? In this instance, I totally disagree with the punishment, but not with the rule. Julie was waiting to tee off on the 10th hole and there was a backup, so she took a few practice swings. Unfortunately, an avid or rabid golf fan saw her removing a donut weight from the club and called it in. She should not have used any enhancements while engaged in a tournament for any reason even though it had no bearing on the outcome of the tournament.
Being disqualified for swinging a club with a weight apparatus on it, is simply too much of a penalty. The rules officials should revisit some of these ancient rules and update them. Bring the rules into the 21st century as you did with the clubs. I MAKE THE CALL.
