Editors Note: Each week, we receive hundreds of questions for our PGA Experts. Though we can't answer every one of them, we will take some of the most illuminating and beneficial questions and have one of the top authorities from the PGA of America to answer them for you. We are in the process of finding ways for more experts to answer more of your questions! Thank you for your support and keep the questions coming!
TOUR QUESTIONS - Mark Spoor, Coordinating Producer for PGATOUR.com
How do the players get points for the FedExCup?
How many points for what?
Points for others such as PGA Championship?
Chad F.
Quite a few questions there, Chad. Let's take them one at a time.
As far as how players get points, think of it like this: If your favorite player gets official money, then he gets FedExCup points as long as he is a PGA TOUR member.
How many? Here's the breakdown for regular TOUR events:
1. 4,500
2. 2,700
3. 1,700
4. 1,200
5. 1,000
6-10. 675
11-30. 170
31-70. 50
Additional events played during the regular season will award half as many FedExCup points (12,500). Additional events are those that are played the same week as the World Golf Championships and British Open.
There are also 10 percent more points than normal (27,500 total) available in the majors, such as the PGA Championship. World Golf Championship events pay 26,250 points.
Once we get into the playoffs on Aug. 23 at The Barclays, the points change again. All Playoff events will award 50,000 total points, as shown below. The final Playoff event, THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, awards slightly more points per position due to the smaller 30-player field.
Playoff Points
Position First three events THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
1. 9,000 10,300
2. 5,400 6,200
3. 3,400 3,900
4. 2,400 2,800
5. 2,000 2,300
10. 1,350 1,550
30. 340 395
70. 100 N/A
For all the latest on the FedExCup, click here.
EQUIPMENT - Tom Henderson, PGA Professional, Master Club Fitter
How do I know if I need a stiff or x stiff in my driver?
Hank M.
Hank:
Swing speed is used as a general guideline for determining the proper flex for your driver.
Have a PGA Professional watch you hit some balls with your driver, closely monitoring your swing speed with a launch monitor or speed measuring device. If your swing speed average falls between 95 - 105 mph, you might consider using a "Stiff" or "Firm" flex shaft in your driver. If your average speed is above 105 mph, look into using an "X" shaft.
Hope this helps.
Hi, what difference does grip size make overall? What if I have big hands but use standard grips?
Thanks
Dan
Dan:
Grip size is a very important component in the club fitting process. The grip is your only connection to the golf club. Here's how you can check your grip size:
Set up to the ball, taking your normal grip on the golf club. Remove the bottom hand and check the top hand's middle finger and ring finger. If these barely touch the fatty thumb pad of the top hand, your grip size is perfect. If the grip is too large, there will be a space between these fingers and the thumb pad. If the grip is too small, the middle and ring fingers will dig into the thumb pad.
Grips that are too big will slow down hand action during the swing (not recommended for someone that prefers a draw) while a grip that is too small will encourage "faster hands" (not recommended for someone preferring a fade).
Hope this answers your question. Good luck.
RULES - John Crumbley, PGA Professional, Rules Expert
Several years ago I was playing at a municipal course in Memphis the morning after a big rain. The first hole was a straight par five bordered on the left by a concrete lined shallow ditch that would have normally been dry. On this day it was running fairly swiftly with 2-3 inches of water--toward the direction of the green. I managed to pull my tee shot left into the ditch. When I went to where my shot entered, I spotted my ball being carried along with the current--toward the green. By the time I got to the ball it was only about 100 yards from the green. Not knowing whether to reach in and grab the ball for a drop or to hit it, I was able to wedge the ball out onto the fairway in front of the green. My playing partners all said that since the water was a natural condition and the ditch was part of the course I should be able to hit the ball out without penalty and take advantage of my "400 yard" tee shot. I have always wondered. What do you say?
Jeff H.
Jeff,
That's a great story! One you don't hear everyday. But it is a situation the rule makers have considered. There are several possibilities to consider here.
First of all the ditch is a water hazard and in fact from your description it was most likely a lateral water hazard. Even if it was not marked as it should have been it is a water hazard by definition - "Water Hazard, any sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch or other open water course (whether or not containing water) and anything of a similar nature on the course." "Lateral Water Hazard is a water hazard or that part of a water hazard so situated that it is not possible or is deemed by the Committee to be impracticable to drop a ball behind the water hazard in accordance with Rule 26-1b." So the first options would have been to invoke the options under Rule 26 in taking relief from the water hazard. If you had done this you would use the point the ball last crossed the margin of the Lateral Water Hazard as your reference point for relief not where the ball had moved to once in the Water Hazard. See Rule 26-1 for these options.
Your other option was to play the ball from where it was in the Lateral Water Hazard if the ball was still moving. Rule 14-6 says "When a ball is moving in water in a Water Hazard, the player may, without penalty, make a stroke, but he must not delay making his stroke in order to allow the wind or current to improve the position of the ball. A ball moving in water in a Water Hazard may be lifted if the player elects to invoke Rule 26." Keep in mind that if you make a stroke at the moving ball and miss it still counts as a stroke in your score. So be very sure you can hit it before trying it!
Also of interest is if the water current were to carry the ball off of the course the ball would then be considered Out of Bounds and you would have to proceed under stroke and distance, Rule 27.
John: Is a putting through line. The line from his ball to the cup or the line the putt takes after it passes the cut if it misses.
David T.
David,
The USGA Rules of Golf define the "Line of Putt" as "the line that the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke on the putting green. Except with respect to 16-1e, the line of putt includes a reasonable distance on either side of the intended line. The line of Putt does not extend beyond the hole." So no is the answer to your question.
Does the PGA play by the same rules as the USGA. Rule 8.1 says a player may not give advise to a competetor but does not say a player or his caddie may not give advise to a competitor. Is this the same as the PGA rule?
Dick
Dick,
The PGA and the PGA Tour play by the USGA Rules of Golf. A player is held responsible for the actions of his caddie and many times in the rules a player will be penalized for something his caddie did just as if he had done it himself. Such as if a caddie moved his players ball while in play, the player would be penalized.
We played a dogleg left par 4 over a lake that was staked as a lateral hazard. Due to heavy rains the lake swelled and encroached onto the fairway a good 20 yards. One player was technically in the fairway under 2 feet of water having not cleared the "new" edge of the lake. However, he was outside the hazard line stakes and claimed casual water and free drop nearest relief. Is this the correct ruling?
scott d.
Scott,
The player was correct in taking relief from casual water. Temporary water over flow from a hazard is considered casual water outside the margins of that hazard. If the player can not retrieve his ball from the casual water he may substitute a ball under the rules. If there is doubt as to if the ball is in the casual water or the hazard and the ball can not be found then it would be treated as being lost in the hazard.
