Denny McCarthy was penalized two strokes in the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open for having his caddie help him align an approach shot. This came less than week after Haotong Li was docked two strokes for the same offense before a putt in Dubai.
And as happened after the Li penalty, peers came to McCarthy’s defense on social media, stating that the ruling was outrageous.
This is ridiculous... the fact this is a penalty is mind blowing. @USGA this NEEDS to be changed ASAP... there is nothing about this rule that makes the game better https://t.co/wtPmPOcss4
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) February 2, 2019
Unbelievable... @USGA Good job simplifying the rules..
— Brandt Snedeker (@BrandtSnedeker) February 2, 2019
This can’t have been a penalty surely??
— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) February 2, 2019
— C.T. Pan (@ctpangolf) February 2, 2019
100%. I thought @haotong_li ruling was worst I’ve seen in 40 years of golf. I was wrong
— Robert Damron (@RobertDDamron) February 2, 2019
Shut the front door... He got penalised for this?!
— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) February 2, 2019
Caddies when they accidentally walk behind their player...
— Chris Paisley (@ChrisPaisley86) February 2, 2019
This new rule is a farce. Hopefully @RandA @USGA will admit and sort out ASAP pic.twitter.com/vNdLTNp3Tk
We have to stop this. Not the intention of the rule and not in the spirit of the game @PGATOUR https://t.co/Lpe9aOyhn0
— Brendan Steele (@Brendan_Steele) February 2, 2019
He hasn’t taken his stance to make a stroke...he is taking practice swings, no intent to make the stroke. Give me a break, this has to change https://t.co/8OQTZ3GvpP
— Ben Kohles (@ben_kohles) February 2, 2019