Brooks Koepka and Caddie Ruling, RBC Heritage No Longer Sleepy and LIV Golf in Future Majors
Well that was a fun week in Augusta, wasn't it? O.K., maybe not if you were a caddie in the downpours or Rory McIlroy, but the Masters delivered a worthy champion in Jon Rahm and a glorious weekend of television including the marathon Easter Sunday.
The PGA Tour now moves on to Hilton Head Island, S.C., for the RBC Heritage while LIV Golf—including Masters runners-up Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson—takes a week off before going to Australia.
But there's still much to discuss from what we just saw at the year's first major, including a caddie controversy that would have been a bigger story had Koepka held onto his lead 'til the end.
'A Penalty That Seems to Have Been Disregarded': Chatter Continues on Masters Ruling With Brooks Koepka and Caddie
Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
Did Augusta National's rules committee properly handle what could have been a violation of Rule 10-2a concerning giving advice to a competitor involving Brooks Koepka's caddie, Ricky Elliott?
“It’s a penalty that seems to have been disregarded," said one rules official, who wished not to be identified and who was not working at the Masters.
Bob Harig talked to other rules officials and caddies about the controversial non-ruling, why the rule exists in the first place and one time where a player was penalized for violating it.
LIV Golf Showed Out at the Masters, But Future Major Appearances Remain in Doubt
Mark Baker/AP
A total of 18 players from LIV Golf came to the Masters—about 20% of the field—and three of them finished on the first page of the leaderboard.
But many of those got in through their Official World Golf Ranking of last year, and LIV Golf still isn't getting ranking points for its tournaments. Bob Harig explains how the majors appear to be content to keep current qualifying criteria in place, which over time will put a very tight squeeze on LIV's presence in the four biggest tournaments of the year.
Thanks to Designated Events, the RBC Heritage Isn't a Sleepy Stop This Year
Joshua S. Kelly/USA TODAY Sports
Let's be honest: as golf naps go, the RBC Heritage is a pretty good one. One week after the Masters has you on the edge of the couch, the PGA Tour's visit to Hilton Head Island is the polar opposite.
But if you sleep through this year's edition, you might miss something. This field is stacked, thanks to the RBC Heritage's elevated-event status. It feels strange and it may only be a one-year thing, but for now Masters champion Jon Rahm and most of the best players on Tour will play in the shadow of that famous lighthouse.
Fore! Things: Jon Rahm's Wins Piling Up, Return Invites for Masters Top 12
Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
With his second major win on Sunday, Jon Rahm is starting to get into some high cotton as far as stats. Bob Harig explains in the Weekly Read Fore! Things, along with top-12 Masters invitations and the countdown to the next major—which may be closer than you think.