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You will be able to leave the flag in while putting. Starting Jan 1, 2019

Zooky

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Pin cushion: DeChambeau to putt with flagstick in

Bryson DeChambeau plans to leave flagstick in while putting in 2019
Bryson DeChambeau said he will take advantage of a new rule in 2019 that allows golfers to putt from the green while leaving the flagstick in and unattended.

How many of his professional peers follow him remains to be seen.

DeChambeau, winner of four PGA Tour titles and known for his scientific approach to the game, recently told Golf.com at a photo shoot that he plans to leave the flagstick in while putting -- unless he's at the U.S. Open, where the sticks are made of a different material.



"It depends on the COR -- the coefficient of restitution of the flagstick," DeChambeau said. "In U.S. Opens, I'll take it out. And every other tour event, when it's fiberglass, I'll leave it in and bounce against the flagstick if I need to."

Bryson DeChambeau says a new rule that allows competitors to putt the ball with the flagstick in the hole will benefit him. "I'll leave it in and bounce against the flagstick if I need to," DeChambeau said of the rule, which goes in effect Jan. 1. Andrew Snook/Icon Sportswire
There has long been debate about whether a flagstick helps or hinders a shot headed toward the hole. But until Jan. 1, it only mattered when a ball was off the green.

The rules of golf did not permit a player to putt with the flagstick in; hitting the stick resulted in a two-stroke penalty when the ball was putted from the green.

But as part of an extensive rules overhaul by the United States Golf Association and the R&A, the rule has been changed. Starting on Jan. 1, players can leave the flagstick in when putting from anywhere on the green.

A long putt hit at great speed and tracking well past the hole might benefit from hitting the flagstick, at least keeping it from traveling a long distance away. Downhill putts might also see some players elect to leave the flagstick in.

The rule was amended mostly for recreational players and pace of play issues, as it can simply be easier and faster to not remove the flagstick.

But DeChambeau sees it helping him.

"Oh, absolutely," he said. "The USGA's gonna have to go back on that one. Like, 'No! We made the hole bigger!'"
 

Zooky

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anything to speed up play. I sometimes did that anyway when playing by myself to not waste time.


Absolutely. I will post the entire list of rules changes now. 3 minutes now to look for a lost ball.
 

BTHOtu

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I hardly ever pull the flag unless I’m playing with a group.
 

R.J. MacReady

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So players on the tour and in majors ...we will all see them putting 10 footers with the pin in?

That can't be. It will look ridiculous.
 

antone112

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Not a big golfer. Will this not give the advantage of being able to be firmer with putts?
 

antone112

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So players on the tour and in majors ...we will all see them putting 10 footers with the pin in?

That can't be. It will look ridiculous.
NONsWrA.png
 

Roy Munson

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So players on the tour and in majors ...we will all see them putting 10 footers with the pin in?

That can't be. It will look ridiculous.

pros will pull the pin.
 

ill

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only if you hit the pole dead center...
I think that if you hit a really firm putt on a longer putt and it hits the pin, even if not dead on, the rebound will keep the ball closer than it would if it flew by the hole. That is why he said he would only be doing it with the fiberglass poles.
 

Zooky

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So players on the tour and in majors ...we will all see them putting 10 footers with the pin in?

That can't be. It will look ridiculous.

The only player who has said he will putt with the flag in is Bryson. Except in the US open because it is a thicker flag stick. Not sure if he changes his mind or of others will follow suit. I believe we will see others
 

R.J. MacReady

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The only player who has said he will putt with the flag in is Bryson. Except in the US open because it is a thicker flag stick. Not sure if he changes his mind or of others will follow suit. I believe we will see others

To allow players on the tour and in majors to putt with a backstop is a huge fundamental change to the sport.
They are playing with fire.

I'm not buying the "To speed up play" as a stand alone reason. They must have calculated a good revenue jump or cost savings in wanting to speed up play for them to pull a stunt like this.

Are we not going to see a considerable % jump in better scores for the players leaving the pin in?
Are we not going to see a ton of guys have the pin in to line up the putt ..and then have the caddies pull it?

There is just no way they are pulling a stunt like this for any reason other than money.
 

Zooky

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To allow players on the tour and in majors to putt with a backstop is a huge fundamental change to the sport.
They are playing with fire.

I'm not buying the "To speed up play" as a stand alone reason. They must have calculated a good revenue jump or cost savings in wanting to speed up play for them to pull a stunt like this.

Are we not going to see a considerable % jump in better scores for the players leaving the pin in?
Are we not going to see a ton of guys have the pin in to line up the putt ..and then have the caddies pull it?

There is just no way they are pulling a stunt like this for any reason other than money.

I don’t know the science but some times the flag being in can work against you.
We have to wait and see how it plays out with the guys on tour.

It will look weird if Bryson or anyone else is putting 3 footers with the stick in.

What do you mean it is about money?
I’m not following.
 

R.J. MacReady

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I don’t know the science but some times the flag being in can work against you.
We have to wait and see how it plays out with the guys on tour.

It will look weird if Bryson or anyone else is putting 3 footers with the stick in.

What do you mean it is about money?
I’m not following.


They are changing the rule to increase speed of play or so they say.

What major problem was there with speed of play on the tour to warrant such a major rule change?
Why not just shorten the time before you put the players on the clock?

I think they are trying to increase viewership by allowing players to score lower with less green time.

I could be 100& wrong. But this is just a huge change to the game and ratings & revenue is the only motivation I could see that would cause them to do something this drastic.



.
 

ATL96Steeler

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They are changing the rule to increase speed of play or so they say.

What major problem was there with speed of play on the tour to warrant such a major rule change?
Why not just shorten the time before you put the players on the clock?

I think they are trying to increase viewership by allowing players to score lower with less green time.

I could be 100& wrong. But this is just a huge change to the game and ratings & revenue is the only motivation I could see that would cause them to do something this drastic.



.

I'm a little lost on that one as well, especially pace of play improvement. There are some benefits to leaving the flag in, I suppose if you have a ball with too much pace on it...hitting the flag could help out.
 

ill

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They are changing the rule to increase speed of play or so they say.

What major problem was there with speed of play on the tour to warrant such a major rule change?
Why not just shorten the time before you put the players on the clock?

I think they are trying to increase viewership by allowing players to score lower with less green time.

I could be 100& wrong. But this is just a huge change to the game and ratings & revenue is the only motivation I could see that would cause them to do something this drastic.



.
I think the pace of play benefit is for recreational play.

but making it allowed in rec play also makes it allowed on the tour, so therefore PGA golfers can take advantage of it.
 
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