Running 2022 Golf Thread

There's also something about this that doesn't pass the smell test. To even participate in a U.S. Open local as an amateur, you have to have a 1.4 index or less. There are six John Eckerts in GHIN with an active index, none of them are from Missouri or Kansas, and none have an index of 1.4 or lower. So he must have signed up as a professional, which means either the local PGA section completely fucked up or Central Links Golf, which ran the qualifier, didn't actually check his index, which I find hard to believe.

 

This was what I was wondering. When I played in provincially sanctioned events I think we had to be a 6.2 or something. Easy to look up.

There are always the stories of imposters sneaking in, or guys with fake indexes getting a letter afterwards banning them.

 

ESPN story has a few more details, including the note that amateurs must have a 1.4 handicap to play a qualifier. This guy got around that by declaring himself a pro, which would run afoul of USGA decorum if he was serious about competing.
Point being, not only is the course difficult but these are some serious golfers playing these rounds. Former college golfers and even a few faded PGA Tour pros here and there. If you have dreams of going all Roy McAvoy you'd better have your shit together.

Fantasy football flop leads to Open qualifying dud

 

To close the loop on the fantasy football idiot, he did indeed sign up as a professional, which means he'll lose his amateur status. Not like he was playing in competitive events anyhow, but he won't be able to even play in anything at a club level because you need to have an index to play in things like your member-guest or member-member.

 

All the details have long since faded, but I remember hearing a story many years ago of a guy who entered a USGA event . . . don't recall if it was a 36-hole qualifier for the Open or Amateur . . . who obviously didn't belong. He started with something like 12-11-7 and then WD'd.

 

And more, after talking to someone from our competitions department at our U.S. Women's Open qualifier today.

The AGAs don't handle any of the entries. It all goes through the USGA, so the USGA didn't vet anything about this cat before ramming it through. He paid his nominal entry fee ($150 or $200), checked the professional box, and was entered. So there was nothing that Central Golf Links could have done. The USGA sends the AGA the entry list, and I believe the USGA even goes as far as to set the starting times. We're just there to set up the course, grab the scores and hand out the medals afterward.

All I know is if my 30-handicap ass had to play from 7,000 yards while having to count every shot by the rules, I'd shoot 180. No foot wedges or "I'll just drop up here and take my stroke" allowed. Ha.

 

I'm about a 9 (8.8 after yesterday's "in-the-money" round!) and while I would likely break 100 on a reasonably good course set up as a US Open qualifier, it wouldn't be a sure thing by any stretch of the imagination.

 

No one knows who those people are.

Progressive TV Spot, 'Dr. Rick: Movies'

 

Gotta bring back the Modified Stableford Scoring System. Them's the rules.

In other news, sometimes I think Greg Norman deliberately tries to be unlikeable.