SOUTHPORT, England — A curious scene unfolded on the 14th tee Friday when the caddie for Lucas Herbert peered into his rangefinder to locate Herbert’s tee shot on the gettable par 5.
Distance-measuring devices are prohibited during competition at The Open under the Rules of Golf, so it was jarring to see the caddie of the tournament leader pull one out in the midst of what, at the time, was a historic round, as Herbert attempted to become the first to shoot 61 or lower in a men’s major.
But caddie Nick Pugh offered an explanation after Herbert’s record-tying round of 62: There’s no battery in the device, so it’s simply being used as a monocular. And that’s allowed, per the R&A.
Pugh said he got the idea from another player whose caddie used the battery-less rangefinder during the U.S. Open. Pugh said he inquired with the R&A earlier this week about whether it was allowed at Birkdale, “and he went to the very top (of the organization), and I was given the green light.”
Pugh said he informed the rest of the group and the walking rules official on the first tee Thursday that he intended to use the device for that purpose, asking the official for a second opinion to ensure that he was “absolutely correct.” The official returned a hole later with a thumbs up.
“My eyesight isn’t great – the glasses aren’t there to just make me look cool. I sometimes struggle when the ball comes down,” Pugh, 50, said afterward. “So I’ll use the rangefinder, which pretty clearly has no battery inside,” he said, showing the device to reporters outside the scoring area. “It does nothing more than magnify.”
“So I checked, double-checked, triple-checked with the R&A,” he said, “and all good.”
What Pugh saw Friday were plenty of perfect shots, with Herbert missing a 4-footer on the last that would have given him the lowest score in men’s major championship history. Herbert settled for an 8-under 62 that gave him a two-shot lead in the clubhouse.
“It was obviously very, very cool,” Pugh said. “An incredible day.”
