Rest in peace, green reading books.
at least, that’s for use in pga tour tournaments. These highly detailed illustrated paperbacks, in use on tour since 2008, join George Orwell’s 1984, f. The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald and The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger among famous banned books.
You are reading: Pga tour green reading books
Unlike once-controversial literary classics, putting green reading books helped players spot the directions in which putts break and the percentage of slope on different sections of greens. The ban became official on January 1 and goes into effect Thursday at this week’s Sentinel of Champions tournament.
Tour veteran Kevin Streelman, who used the books religiously for the past several years, was a member of the tour’s 16-member Player Advisory Council that voted unanimously in May that the books had to go. He explained why the players initiated the move, noting that he didn’t like the optics on television of seeing players’ noses buried in books as they determined the break of a putt.
“I think green reading is a skill of the game,” he said. “It’s a pretty cool technology that probably jumped out at us pretty quickly and everyone thought it was time to get a grip on it.”
“It got out of control for a while,” Davis Love III said. “at the 2016 ryder cup, there were people sneaking around with machines and throwing skittles and putting them on 8×12 paper. It’s a bit too much technology. yes, there is technology involved in almost everything: rangefinders, gps, score keeping and all that kind of stuff. but we have to be careful that it doesn’t become a computer game.”
The pushback began in 2018 when the USGA limited the size of books to 4½ x 7 inches, at the scale where 3/8 inch on the book would correspond to five yards on the green. several major players considered such legislation too soft. The purpose behind restricting green reading books is to ensure that players and caddies use only their eyes and touch to help them read the line of play on the green. critics say the books offered too much help. or like previous world no. 1 luke donald put it, “we shouldn’t be given a book with all the answers.”
“It’s not really an advantage, it’s just taking away a skill that takes time and practice to master,” said Rory McIlroy, president of the PAC, in the usa. uu. open in June. “I think reading greens is a real skill that some people are better at than others, and it just nullifies that advantage people have.
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“Honestly, I think it’s made everyone lazier. people don’t spend time preparing like they used to.”
but they will now, as will their caddies. Scott Sajtinac, who currently works with Brandt Snedeker, estimated that he will spend an additional 5 to 10 hours per week on the greens rolling balls to collect as much detail on green surfaces without using electronic equipment (no levels or measuring devices required). ). allowed). he hopes to see an increase in the number of players and caddies using the aimpoint method of reading greens.
rarely, the usga and r&a followed the players’ lead and passed a local rule (mlr g-11) in december that allows a committee to limit players to using only the yardage book it has approved . for use in competition.
The local rule gives the course the ability to establish an officially approved distance book at each tournament so that green diagrams show only minimal details (such as significant slopes, levels, or false edges indicating sections of greens). additionally, local rule limits the handwritten notes players and caddies may add to the approved yardage book.
“Am I happy it’s gone? yes,” said matt kuchar. “I think it’s good for the game that they’re leaving. I don’t think the game was meant to be broken down so scientifically.”
justin rose, who tends to be more of a scientist than an artist, noted that he has won just as many tournaments with the green reading book as without it and doesn’t expect his inability to get the information handy will make much of a difference.
“I don’t trust that. I used it as a quick guide,” she said, adding, “There are ways I can still use it and the concepts and strategies without it. I will still use it in my prep in my hotel room.”
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jordan spieth, known as one of the deadliest putters on tour, had become a devoted user of the books in recent years, but he was also among the pac members who voted for the ban. speaking before the sentinel tournament of champions, he said he wasn’t too worried about losing access to what had become a kind of security blanket on the greens, noting that the augusta national golf club didn’t allow them and that he had a pretty good track record there, including a green jacket from 2015.
“I seem to find myself in a really good space on the greens there, I really feel the putts,” he said. “I’m one that uses (green books) because why wouldn’t you? more for a waypoint and many times more for speed than trying to dial in a waypoint situation or a line, so I’m perfectly fine with the changes.
“I think that for me, when putting it you have to read it well, you have to give it a stroke and you have to hit it with the right speed. I thought with the green reading materials it took away one of those three abilities and I think it’s an ability that I would say is an advantage of mine, so I’m excited to see what it can mean in terms of strokes gained. compared to the course on the greens.”
talor gooch, who won the rsm classic, the last event on the tour where books were allowed, wore a green reading book on the way to his first win but said he was glad they went.
“It takes me away from my instincts and my abilities,” he said. “It will be nice to have almost no other voice in my head and I think it will set me free.”
Perhaps max homa offered the best reason why pros shouldn’t miss reading green books too much: “I don’t use a reading green book because if I did, I couldn’t blame my caddy.” when I miss.”
steve dimeglio contributed to this report.