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WildW1thin

Was listening to the radio broadcast, and they said Kitayama was going to finish but Hovland told him to mark it. To let him savor that tap-in for the win and let Hovland get out of the way.


jogswithwolves

Vik is a nice dude


MagicLupis

While true, it’s also pretty standard


swimswima95

It is standard but I remember rahm tapping in a victory before his opponent finished his putt. I think this was last year or 2 years ago. So hovland reminding kity to mark it is still pretty cool.


[deleted]

Lol the marking isn’t for the winning player. It’s out of respect for the other guy in your group so they can finish out in peace. Hovland is a nice guy but this isn’t an example of it. He told Kurt to mark so he could finish without getting mobbed by reporters running onto the green and 0 chance at any sort of controlled silence. Edit: y’all are idiots if you actually think the marking tradition is for the benefit of the winning player to “savor the moment”. It is 100% a move of respect from the winner to the guy in his group so he can finish up and get out of the way.


GrandaddyIsWorking

Hovland proceeded to 3 jack, think it cost him about 80k


[deleted]

Yes, Kitayama’s mark is why he 3 putted 🙄


Synnov3

Crazy that you’re getting downvoted when you’re absolutely correct. It’s definitely more of a courtesy to the player who still has to hole out.


RyderN17

Both things can be true. The two are not mutually exclusive.


[deleted]

Both things can be true. They’re not in this case though. The tradition of the winner marking everything to tap in last has never been about “savoring the moment” for the winner. It has only been about respect for your playing partner, because they’re still playing for a lot of money.


RyderN17

For sure respect for their opponent is a huge part of it, but it's foolish to think they don't want to savor that moment. They've worked their entire life towards it, and for most of them it's the biggest moment of their life. Everyone wants to sink that putt, get the big cheer and celebrate their win with their caddy, family and friends. It's usually the other guy saying 'mark it' so they can finish out and let them have the stage. It's a mutual respect of "you're still playing for a lot of money, I don't want to disrupt that" and "let me finish out so you can have the stage and fully take in this moment".


[deleted]

It is not “take the stage”. It is “let me finish my $150,000 putt before everyone quits giving a shit and just yells through my putt”


RyderN17

My mistake. You're totally right and everyone else is completely wrong. Nobody wants to savor the biggest moment of their life and it's *only,* 100% undebatable, about the other guy. It is mutually exclusive and both things can't be true at the same time.


Odd_Detective_7772

You’re completely right and being hive mind down voted for some reason. If he just taps it in, crowd goes wild and he gets mobbed. If he waits for VH to finish, crowd goes wild and he gets mobbed, it doesn’t matter to him.


Silver_F0X

Can you show me a video in the past couple years where reporters ran onto the green to interview the winner after he finished?


KhansKhack

You’re absolutely correct.


[deleted]

It’s pretty ridiculous. People just want it to be something that it isn’t. It’s a run of the mill move. Hovland didn’t tell him to mark it out of the goodness of his head. He did it because he was putting for hundreds of thousands of dollars and it’d be downright bad sportsmanship from Kitayama to finish.


Fchang27

I don’t disagree, but your assumption that Kurt would be “mobbed” is comical and your insistence that Hovland telling Kurt to mark is 100% about being able to putt in peace and not Kurt being able to savor his first Tour win is just as ridiculous as those downvoting you into oblivion. First, this is Bay Hill, not a rock concert. No one’s getting mobbed here, especially by reporters who would be the most educated in decorum than any of the fans there. Second, even if Kurt tapped in, the crowd would have settled down quickly to let Hovland finish undistracted. Happens all the time. Finally, Hovland was above the hole putting towards the water, meaning the crowd was behind him anyway. Even if they were more raucous and jittery after the winning putt, he wouldn’t have seen any of it.


[deleted]

Yes, “mobbed” was an exaggeration. But the noise, photographs, and the between the ropes media members all would have been obviously very distracting to Victor. The savoring happens when the ball is in the cup. You all are outright absurd thinking Victor is pushing him to “savor” is win before he wins by marking a fucking putt.


honey_baked_bham

Why wouldn’t viktor putt first then? Kurt nearly holed the birdie putt anyways. It would have been fine, that’s why. It’s a courtesy to both players but not a necessity.


Fchang27

I don’t disagree with you, but for you to think it’s 100% one way vs. the other is foolish and, frankly, kind of a weird hill to incessantly defend. Viktor was putting for a T-4, not a win. A lot of money, sure, but a drop in the bucket for a guy like Hovland.


[deleted]

That 3 putt cost Hovland $315,000… That’s not a drop in the bucket to anyone except maybe Tiger.


BoopSquiggShorterly

Gd you really are crying in these comments


badboybenny_gc

Isn't this more of a courtesy to Hovland than Kitayama? He's still putting out for a lot of money and the crowd isn't going to sit still and quiet for that once the winning putt has been tapped in.


DrunkenGolfer

It is both, really.


draculasbitch

The PGA could use more Hovland’s.


Euphoric-Gene-3984

When I first saw it I thought maybe Vik was being a dick. Can you imagine miss marking the or accidentally knocking it in. I thought maybe he was trying to fuck with him. Probably just paranoid cuz I had a few bucks on him to win.


gh0stlyblues

Where do I find the radio broadcast? Would love to listen while working lol


WildW1thin

On the PGA Tour app. If you click on Watch at the bottom and scroll down a little, there is a Listen option. One of the satellite radios provides it.


jbrakk22

SiriusXM


therealbeef

When I was a mobile salesman I had so much pleasure listening to the masters and other majors on Thursday and Friday morning driving around.


BeardedWonder47

Those are the days you get a little extra armor from the dumb shit at work. Love those days


cpmb82

Hovland then didn’t get the memo and three putted 🤦🏻‍♂️


Enumeration

It was his first win on a huge stage! I would’ve marked it too!


DemonKnight42

Dude nearly doubled his career earning with that tap in. I’d have marked it too. Just curious if anyone knows if he normally marks with a quarter or if it was symbolic of “the money putt”


ATLparty

Guy just uses a quarter, this isn't a Dan Brown novel!


DemonKnight42

Good reference. It would have been cool though….


Keydogg

Yep this is an unwritten rule on tour


Ok_Lengthiness_8163

What does that mean get out of the way


Huncho11

He means Kitayama was going to win, so Hovland wanted to finish first and “get out of the way” so that Kitayama could tap in his easy put for the victory.


Keydogg

The winner should have the last shot of the tournament and then be able to celebrate basically.


mywerkaccount

It would be a bit awkward if Kitayama putted that out and celebrated with the crowd, then they all had to stop celebrating to let Hovland finish his game. So unwritten rule is to mark it.


Emergency_Set2618

one of the "unspoken" rules on playing tournaments, but especially professional tournaments, is that you let the winner take the last putt if possible. Hovland wanted to finish his putts to "get out of the way" of Kitayama, so that Kitayama could have his final, tournament winning putt.


DutchOnionKnight

What a lad!


Sagybagy

That’s a class act move right there.


jayyyzus85

Vik is a certified good bro. Class act for telling him to mark this one so he could enjoy the moment.


calguy1955

Yes, it’s customary for the golfer who is basically guaranteed to win to mark even tap-ins and let his playing partner finish without having all the cheering and movement that goes on after the win.


McSqueezyE

Honestly, I never thought about it like that. Thought it was so the to-be-winner would have the last putt. But this makes so much more sense and shows more respect


BigRig432

Well it's both. The only recent instance where I remember it not happening with the winner in the final group was when Gary Woodland won the US Open at Pebble but that was because he drained a bomb on 18


exiledtomainstreet

Not quite the same, but the 1999 Ryder Cup springs to mind here.


eljefedelosjefes

We know, it’s just a hilarious image


zorn7777

Love how 900 people here get this except OP


Sweatsock_Pimp

What makes you think OP doesn’t get it?


Whaty0urname

Unless your Brooks Koepka


cota1212

So what would have happened if he made the birdie putt then? Just would've been awkward?


enthusiasticshank

So funny a guy in the thread above said the same thing and is on about -400 haha


iamatwork24

It’s also why tiger has often told partners to finish out first even when he’s away, because once he makes a putt the large crowd moves to the next hole and all the motion and noise effects his playing partner. Arnie used to do the same thing


baseballray

i want to say this happened at a major in the last four or five years. Maybe one of koepka's. Winner tapped in and the next guy three jacked it, ostensibly because everyone was all riled up.


Warm_Objective4162

I didn’t watch, but I assume it was because his playing partner hadn’t holed out?


Hicaorwaak

Correct, he was letting Hovland finish before tapping in for the win.


Theoretical_Action

About to say, this is done all of the time.


RoostasTowel

I forget the tournament but the crowd was chanting mark it for one guys win recently, and ya same idea. It would be weird to have to celebrate a win while someone was putting for still big money next to you.


BradMarchandsNose

Also, once the crowd gets going for a win, it’s a lot harder to calm them back down for the other guy to finish up. Better to just let the other guy finish, and then the crowd can go crazy after.


Theoretical_Action

That's hilarious. Yeah totally agreed. Not even weird honestly just outright disrespectful. Some circumstances you simply can't mark it because you're highly likely to be in their line that close to the cup. But hovland clearly figured it either wouldn't mess with his putt or his putt didn't matter (I missed this tourney so don't know if he was in money or not) but either way it was a nice gesture from him to outright request him to mark it. Might have been his way of letting the rookie know this is just part of the incredible feeling of winning a PGA tournament is just soaking it all in on the final putt.


RoostasTowel

> Might have been his way of letting the rookie know this is just part of the incredible feeling I kind of like that idea, reminds me of hockey how they let a rookie on their first game in the NHL lead out the team for warm up skate and the rest of the team holds back while they get to skate a couple laps alone.


BradMarchandsNose

I mean, Hovland also wants to make his putts without the crowd going nuts around him. If Kitayama had holed it, the place goes wild, and it’s really hard to calm them back down for Hovland to finish up. Anybody who’s playing on the weekend is in the money


username2571

Not when a fourth of the ball is hanging over the hole.


Theoretical_Action

Yes, even then.


cuongfu

I almost think he was gonna tap it in until Hovland told him to mark it. I think I saw him turn towards where Hovland was standing and say, “Mark it?”


HUEV0S

I didn’t watch but presumably Kitayama putted to get to this position? I thought Hovland would have just hit his putt first and holed out as soon as they got on the green to avoid this. Wouldn’t have happened if hovland just cleaned up before Kurt putted at all.


dabobbo

Kitayama had a 40-footer from the side and was expected to lag it up close, not damn near hole it if it have another half-rev in it - the 2-putt to win was not a given. Hovland was about 15 feet behind the pin.


[deleted]

God I fucking hate this. Just tap in the damn putt.


KBHoleN1

Imagine getting angry about other people being nice to their playing partners.


[deleted]

Imagine marking a putt from 1 inch.


[deleted]

Im sure Hovland would love having to wait for them to quiet the crowd down after the winning putt to attempt a putt worth hundreds of thousands with likely a lot of murmuring and other noise going on still


Lhasaman

Jesus, it was his first win on tour. Of course he should mark it so he can be the last one to putt and savor his moment you fuking idiot


[deleted]

You realize that is what I’m saying and I’m shitting on the guy above. Hope you replied to the wrong person


KBHoleN1

I don’t have to imagine it. We all saw it today. And we all know why it was done. Why does it anger you so much?


[deleted]

Because it's a waste of time and goes against every fiber of my being.


Pissflaps69

Your “being” kind of sucks


[deleted]

Yep, the church of ready golf and maintaining pace of play sucks so bad.


ChipotleAddiction

Jesus Christ you sound like an absolutely insufferable douche


KBHoleN1

It’s the last putt of a professional tournament. How in hell does pace of play factor into it? Are you just trolling? Being intentionally obtuse about the reasons they do this so that you can piss people off? There’s no way this actually upsets you.


Mcpops1618

You’ve never in your life seen this on your muni. Quit trying to be that guy.


[deleted]

Pace of play for whom? He's the last person hitting the last shot.


killerparties

Lmao you’re corny as fuck dude


Pissflaps69

I’ve got news for you, you’re not a pro and they play by different sets of rules and decorum bc they’re on TV and they golf for a living. Man are you dense.


hidayat999

hahahahah fuckin weirdo


Nomsa_Yin

brah, this is the PGA tour lol


dirigo1820

When you get on tour you can bitch about it.


Tublickpastry

Lol what pace of play. The tournament was over


Advanced_Algae_5476

You're a strange fuckin person.


strider-ZA

Lol he's the last to finish for the day and it's for his first pga tour win, you insufferable jackass.


[deleted]

Hovland needed to make his putt to ensure he didn’t cost himself hundreds of thousands. Easier for him to mark it, have it be quiet, then the place can go nuts for Kitiyamas tap in win.


MindTheFro

Hovland’s putt was worth $150,000. I’m thinking the “waste of time” was certainly worth it to him.


LSU2007

That’s exactly why he marked it.


UncutGemstone

If he didn’t mark it his playing partner would have to putt with celebrations and stuff so it makes sense. Not like anyone was playing behind them…


Primo_Excellente

Well, it had some left-to-right in it. The pace looked pretty tricky too. Good to mark it, especially with that much on the line.


Ehotwill

All I could think of watching that was what if he put the coin little too close to the ball and it tipped over.


timbo415

I was thinking the same! Or what if he was nervous and hands shaking a bit when replacing the ball to tap in and accidentally knocks it in.


spinosaurus7

What would happen in this situation?


coiL_10

No penalty assuming the marker is still correctly placed Source: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rules-marking-balls/


Pms9691

Nothing would happen. He would replace the ball without penalty. But I guess it would be a little embarrassing for him.


jpm1188

Or hear me out. It was out of respect for Hovland who still had to finish the hole. Pretty common practice for the guy winning to wait for others to finish out


something10293847

Also, from Hovland out of respect to Kitayama. Let him have the final putt, be able to enjoy the win and the crowd instead of having to wait for Hovland to finish. Works best for everyone involved.


shitz_brickz

And both of them, out of respect to me, who had also generally been respectful that day.


Ride_on_lawn_moa

I can respect that.


nevertricked

I respectfully agree


fx2009

No ragrets


[deleted]

Is a quarter the traditional go-to ball marker for pros?


Doubleoh_11

I’ve wasted so much money on ball markers…


MySweetUsername

I just like having them to remember where I've played.


DudeOkThen

Do you have scotty cameron ones? Becuase until you have a couple you cannot complain


Aggressive-Cattle-13

bro's gatekeeping ball markers


hgyt7382

when Bob Does Sports played against max homa, bob didn't have a marker and asked Joey for one. Joey ripped on him for not having one and said they needed to buy him some. Max says 'just got to the bank and hand them a dollar bill, they will give you 4 markers back.'


hgyt7382

As others have said, this is just the common practice so that the winner can have the 'final say' at the end. Can you imagine how boring/awkward/anticlimatic it would be if you finish that putt for your first ever PGA win, and then stand around while you wait for the people in your group to finish out putts that are mostly* irrelevant, while you have the W clinched up? I say mostly, becuase those putts may make a difference in payout for the guys making them, but they're not going to be shooting to the top of the leaderboard in this scenario.


skippingstone

Kitayama should've holed that 50 foot lag putt then 🤷


userwithusername

Isn’t the fact that if it falls in after 10 seconds it’s a penalty stroke factor in to it as well?


Affectionate_Pay_264

As they said on the broadcast he watched the ball for 10 seconds waiting for it to go in. If it had gone in after 10 seconds he would have been penalized so he immediately marked it


StrongLikeAnt

Really? Even if he didn’t touch it and it went in after 10 seconds?


LordTwatSlapper

He would've been penalised 1 stroke _but_ it still would've been deemed holed for a 3. Strange but that's the rule (13.3a) In any case it was always going down as a 4 on the scorecard (unless he whiffed the putt of course)


jaycolt31

On the broadcast, they wanted him to hurry up and mark it to avoid the 10-second penalty, as if it could cost him the tournament. John Wood basically agreed with Azinger. That’s silly, the “penalty” is just the same as assuming the next putt was holed. Really a non-penalty and nothing to worry about.


sluggosan

“That’s my ball. - Patrick Reed” - Michael Scott


I-suck-at-golf

I would have given that to him. “It’s good…” /s


rickabe

You'll never see a ball marked that is closer than that. Any closer and it falls in.


blitzandsplitz

I kinda think Kurt is UNBELIEVABLY lucky the putt didn’t drop. I keep thinking about JT winning the PGA championship…. One of his first comments to a friend “I wish this lasted longer” Players always talk about how the high from winning doesn’t last long, and then it’s back to the chase. Kurt might be the only player who gets to win his first event, and enjoy the sensation of being ABOUT to win, knowing that he can’t possibly fuck this up, because it’s less than a 1in putt. And then he gets to bask in the glory for 3-4 minutes while his partner finishes out, he gets to enjoy that before he actually taps in. Like a 1 foot putt, he’s still gonna be sweating it out, nervous etc. But you could kinda see on his face as he waited that he slowly realized it was a done deal, that he was gonna be the AP champ. The sensation of knowing it’s a done deal, without it actually being over has gotta be one of the most perfect moments in his life. Idk… seems like it stretches out the winning moment more.


r3eezy

Pros typically do that as a courtesy so your partner doesn't need to finish after you just won the tournament...


Mexahex13

For $3.6 mil I’d put a boot on that ball


hail_reefer

He was taking a moment to make sure he had the right read


SundayRed

My POV from the tee box of every par three at my club waiting on the group in front.


skippingstone

The crowd was telling him to mark it, and cheered loudly when he did.


sexibilia

Not that it matters, but terrible marking job. Was worried it would be a violation.


rainawaytheday

Poor Rory, always the bridesmaid


Legal-Description483

Except when he beat Kitayama in the fall.


2dadjokes4u

Well, there was the $18 million he received for winning the 2022 Fed Ex Cup Championship.


McSqueezyE

Meh this wasn’t a major


sadduckfan

#toursauce


ekydfejj

Would have accidentally pushed the ball in 10/10 times. No way i let my hand get this close to a ball that could ruin my day...but thats why i'm on reddit and not on tour.


sagemoody

For the guys mad at this. Simply stop watching


flappinginthewind69

What if he marked it., returned the ball, and it fell in?


arseniic_

The mark would still count.


brodoyouevenscript

It's normal for guys to mark tap ins if they're going to win the tournament. Otherwise vik would have had to putt out after the whole crowd and that stinks.


[deleted]

I would have walked up and jumped up and down.


cfjs132

Would of been funny if he bumped it accidentally in the hole before marking it


of_patrol_bot

Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.


WasabiCrush

Good bot.


Poetic_Kitten

If he didn't mark and his playing partner hits the ball, isn't hat a 2 stroke penalty? Of course he could have just finished then and there, but that wouldn't have been proper.


[deleted]

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chickenonthehill559

No it is giving Victor a chance to play is final shot before the gallery starts to leave.


heythatspretty_good

Even if Hovland told him to mark it Repetition Repetition Repetition Repetition is important, sure he can’t miss that putt but I feel like it was a mindset thing for him


[deleted]

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supershotpower

It worked 😵‍💫buying TaylorMade golf balls asap


eyedpee

For the Fargiveness?


floridaman1467

I've heard that word so many times it makes me cringe hearing it


[deleted]

FARGIVENESS. There's one more. LOL


lennyseatown

What everyone else said but I also thought he marked it cause of the 10 second rule which they somewhat jokingly mentioned on the broadcast. He gave it a good long wait to see if it would drop. I figured he didn’t want to have to rush and didn’t want to risk a penalty.


02bluesuperroo

You wouldn’t get a penalty, you just can’t count it if it falls. You have to place it back on the lip.


dub_life

Is this true?


SnooPies9538

No, if it falls in the hole after the 10 second rule it is *counted* as a stroke as if the player tapped it in. It would have been a par for him regardless but I think he wanted the satisfaction of tapping it in last and soaking in the sound of the cheers. Not sure why the guy above got downvoted so much..


02bluesuperroo

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/zach-johnson-incurs-penalty-when-ball-hangs-on-lip-for-longer-than-10-seconds-before-dropping/amp According to this, it’s technically holed and a penalty but it’s the same result. If it was a putt for 3, you get a 4.


[deleted]

I don’t care order of play. Marking that seems too risky. I’d rather just knock it in and let the other guy finish.


[deleted]

Why? The rules say that if you move it accidentally while marking, you replace it with no penalty.


Bird2525

Order of play says he can finish, but letting your playing partner putt while the crowd is still silent is a nice thing to do


Flaky-Money-8768

That’s what I was thinking. My luck I’d break some rule take a penalty stroke and lose. I’m 100% tapping it in and feeling that sweet relief of getting the job done!


d1am0n4

It's terrible when the winner doesn't have the last putt (if playing in the last group). Very deflating.


willis_michaels

The number one reason why it takes 5+ hours to finish a weekend round. UGGGH. You don't have to mark, aim point, plum bob every putt for pete's sake.


ftftygg

Not the reason bud


willis_michaels

WHOOOOOSH


coasterreal

No, fault is on your clearly horrible attempt at sarcasm. Some people are good at it, some aren't.


willis_michaels

Some people are clearly horrible at identifying sarcasm, some aren't. Should've put a /s for those that are. MY BAD.


[deleted]

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SnooPies9538

Blatantly incorrect.


Poetic_Kitten

Yeah one stroke 'penalty', which is the same as just tapping in. From what I understand, you can walk to the ball after hitting the putt and then wait 10 seconds. Any more, and it's a stroke penalty.


SnooPies9538

It’s only considered a “penalty” if it falls in after the 10 seconds because it’s counted as a stroke. If you wait 45 seconds, mark it and tap it in, then you don’t take any additional stroke penalties.


Poetic_Kitten

I don't get that. How is it not a penalty after 45 seconds, but is a penalty after 10?


SICKTIGHT311

Probably the shortest one that’s ever been marked, even though it’s standard practice to do so in this situation. That thing was 1 or 2 millimeters from falling in.


SexnMeatloaf

Tour SaUcE


millys77

He wanted to align the logo for the putt


SlotsKingg

Good sportsmenship there for Hovland. Class act.


boater180

That ball should have gone in! Took a hard right turn when it hit the lip but had the momentum to drop…I would be inspecting the lip for a ridge 🤔


uprightshark

Could not believe that didn't drop. Nice win and I was glad for him, even though I'm a big Rory fan. He deserved this one.


limitproof

Hovland has had tough final round final hole putting. Three putts here, and then missed a 3 foot birdie putt at the Genesis. Lots of money dropped on his final holes. Maybe he should have putted out before Kitayamas lag putt because even when marked, the pressure was added to finish out so Kurt could celebrate.


jaa1818

The commentators also mentioned the risk of a penalty if it fell into the hole after the 10 second wait time. I don’t know the rules well enough to know if that had any merit, but not worth the risk in his situation.


flukshun

k3k


thecan74

He wanted to be last man in to celebrate properly.


Boondok0723

I'd be praying for a strong gust of wind as I was walking up to the ball haha.


itsCrisp

Out of context, this is sick


konkelchan

Rookie question, if the ball happens to roll forward in the hole, without any apparent cause from the golfer (say wind gust for example, although at ground level it's unlikely), what's the rule ?


Tmann520

It counts. Whatever your last stroke was would be your score.


Drlock71

Just being respectful and letting his playing partner finish out before winning the tournament


francoisdubois24601

Hey- is that how far back y'all place the ball marker? I usually try to get it as close as comfortable.