Tour caddies aligning players

[fourlights]

I was watching Kyle Stanley play today and I noticed his caddy lining him up on every bloody shot he took. It reminded me of the LPGA. I think this practice has no place at the highest levels of professional golf. Alignment to the target is a crucial skill that people struggle with all the time and I do not think that a caddy should be allowed to stand behind a player and make sure that they are aimed at the target correctly. Thoughts?

[Kosmo]

Caddies have been helping read greens for years, but, I agree, it's getting a little too much to help the player get their alignment corrected on the tee box and fairways too.

[mpare]

Not only can a caddie line up his player, but he can also show his player how to make the swing to effect a particular shot - so long as play is not delayed.

[BC MIST]

I was watching Kyle Stanley play today and I noticed his caddy lining him up on every bloody shot he took. It reminded me of the LPGA. I think this practice has no place at the highest levels of professional golf. Alignment to the target is a crucial skill that people struggle with all the time and I do not think that a caddy should be allowed to stand behind a player and make sure that they are aimed at the target correctly. Thoughts?

Do we extend your suggestion to partners in four ball tournaments, too?

In addition to alignment, D 6-4/10 describes some of the other duties that a caddie may perform showing clearly that the caddie and the player are a team. The only issue that I have with a caddie helping a player to align is the extra time it may take. If there was a fixed, pace of play time for each stroke, that was consistently enforced on Tour, as we have enforced in the amateur ranks, then it would not matter if the caddie aligns the player of not.

As an aside, penalizing Tour players strokes for slow play versus fining them for an accumulation of slow times, would speed up Tour play and eventually ours, too.

[AAA]

That is what a traditional caddy has always been paid for.

If there is a question of slow play and a player is on the clock, the time taken by the caddy is included in the allowance for the stroke and preparation (usually 40 seconds).

The pro tour POP regs include stroke penalties as well as fines.

[gbower]

So AAA when was the last time ANY tour player was penalized a stroke for slow play??????

[davevandyk]

So long as the players don't fall behind, I don't see how there is a problem. You can say alignment is crucial but so is:

-calculating the wind direction and force
-reading greens
-calculating accurate yardages
-assessing lies in the rough/bunker
-choosing correct club and shot type
-mentally preparing for a given shot/circumstance
-marking your score and playing partners

Those are all essentially what caddies are paid for. If not, why not just hire a teenage looper each tour stop and pay him $200, $100 if you miss the Cut??

Caddies are hired to give the player the best chance to win, of course they should give the Tour Pro a better chance at success than us Amateurs without a caddie... if not, what's their purpose?

[AAA]

So AAA when was the last time ANY tour player was penalized a stroke for slow play??????

I have no idea. I don't follow the pro tours.

[BC MIST]

Those are all essentially what caddies are paid for. If not, why not just hire a teenage looper each tour stop and pay him $200, $100 if you miss the Cut??

Or hire gbower to caddie for you. For a Coke and a hot dog, he does a pretty good job.

[mpare]

And he can help you with rules' questions!

Or hire gbower to caddie for you. For a Coke and a hot dog, he does a pretty good job.

[AAA]

They say that for a Coke and a hot dog, he does pretty well anything.

[gbower]

Sorry has to be Diet Coke!!!!!!

[adanac]

So AAA when was the last time ANY tour player was penalized a stroke for slow play??????

I know for certain that Se Ri Pak was penalized stroke(s) at the Canadian Women's Open held at Niagara.

Although not common, it does happen. Normally penalty strokes require a player to have at least two "bad" times in the same round. Once warned, they are very careful to not have any bad times and hence avoid penalty strokes.

[leftylucas]

caddies helping players with their alignment, with their swing, on the greens, next they will be getting girls for them too, Oh, I guess they do that too, right Stevie

[BogeyGolf]

caddies helping players with their alignment, with their swing, on the greens, next they will be getting girls for them too, oh, i guess they do that too, right stevie

lol....