Despite USGA CEO Mike Davis’ company line that the unveiling of the new Rules of Golf in 2019 have been “a huge success,” players at the top of the game have been quick to rebuke him at every turn.
Earlier this week, Justin Thomas called them “terrible,” while Rickie Fowler, who has run afoul of the Rules more than once so far this year, added fuel to the fire by poking fun at the new drop procedure during the first round of the Honda Classic on Thursday.
Needing to take a drop from a plugged lie in the middle of the fairway at PGA National, Fowler — along with playing partner Billy Horschel who made reference to Fowler’s bad drop at the WGC-Mexico Championship, which Fowler was penalized for — decided to have some fun with the required knee-high dropping procedure by employing a suggestive pose.
Rickie shows us the proper way to take a drop. pic.twitter.com/j8AgWz0XHq
— Skratch (@Skratch) February 28, 2019
Last week, Fowler railed against the rule that drops must be taken from knee-height, not higher and not lower.
“I think, with the new rules that have been put in place, it’s not doing any favors for our sport,” he said. “I think it will definitely be changed. We have been making fun of the knee drop for so long that it was ingrained the first time I took a drop this year. Like, ‘This is an iconic moment. I get to drop from my knee and look stupid.’ So, no, like I said, it was on me, but I think it’s a terrible change.”
Fowler went on to shoot a 3-under par 67 despite carding a triple-bogey 7 at the difficult par-4 6th hole. After the round, Fowler made clear what he was trying to do with his theatrics earlier in the round.
“I think I’m still kind of making fun of the fact that we have to drop from our knee,” he said.
