SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Charley Hoffman expressed his displeasure with the PGA Tour on Friday evening after a guidelines challenge value him a penalty stroke on a drop within the second spherical of the WM Phoenix Open.
In a prolonged Instagram publish, Hoffman criticized the Tour’s guidelines officers, who he thinks aren’t held accountable, and accused the Tour of not defending its gamers. He went on to counsel that these are among the many explanation why gamers are contemplating taking part in on different excursions.
The genesis of Hoffman’s publish, which began with “What a joke @usga @pgatour,” was a difficulty he had on the thirteenth gap on the WM Phoenix Open. Hoffman hit his tee shot within the water, which added a penalty stroke to his rating. The difficulty started when he tried dropping for his third stroke. Hoffman defined within the publish that he dropped twice within the aspect of a hill that did not have any grass. He defined that he lastly discovered a “small tuff of grass” for the ball to put, however when he circled, the ball rolled again into the water.
Hoffman was compelled to take one other penalty stroke, although he thought the USGA had modified that rule, which made his subsequent shot his fourth stroke. He completed the par-5 gap with a double-bogey.
“I used to be underneath the impression that the @usga had modified that rule,” Hoffman wrote in his publish. “I used to be fallacious. Needed to take one other penalty for doing nothing fallacious in any respect. Did the whole lot by the e-book. It is nonetheless thoughts blowing {that a} group of amateurs rule the skilled recreation of golf.
“I additionally blame the @pgatour guidelines officers for placing out a horrible penalty space line the place this might even occur. No accountability at any stage right here. No safety for the gamers in any respect. You surprise why guys are wanting to leap ship and go play on one other tour. Gamers want transparency, safety and consistency. We do not have that underneath the present governing our bodies.”
Hoffman then tagged quite a lot of media shops in addition to the Saudi Worldwide match performed in Saudi Arabia and the DP World Tour, which is a part of the European Tour Group.
Hoffman, who’s a member of the PGA Tour’s coverage board, then apologized to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
“Sorry Jay! We have to do higher in any respect ranges of the @pgatour,” Hoffman wrote. “Together with myself who symbolize the gamers on the board of the Tour. If we do not we cannot have a Tour any longer!
“Hopefully there shall be a change quickly.”
A few of Hoffman’s fellow execs chimed in among the many greater than 380 feedback.
Phil Mickelson stated: “I really feel ya”
Bryson DeChambeau stated: “Agree wholeheartedly”
One other professional, Emiliano Grillo, who missed the reduce on the WM Phoenix Open, joked in a remark: “Do not hit it there” adopted by three laughing emojis.
In his publish, Hoffman referred to the specter of a proposed Saudi-backed tour that might problem the PGA Tour and probably lure a few of its high gamers due to extra money at stake would possibly strike a nerve with the Tour’s resolution makers and lift eyebrows among the many gamers.
