Porter Cup 2019: The Rules Official
They appear, usually on a cart for ease and pace of movement. Inevitably, they save the day.John Burns is his real name. He is a member at the Niagara Falls Country Club, a high school teacher and coach (golf and hockey) and a member of the Buffalo District Golf Association board of directors. As if that weren’t a healthy serving on the plate of life, on a side dish, he is a USGA rules official. He serves to assist each competitor’s journey ’round the tournament course, ensuring that proper procedure and etiquette are followed. Most decisions are rendered in relative anonymity, although the occasional, high-profile moment does surface. Chances are, you will mistake him for a marshal, groundskeeper, or a fellow fan. That is well and good. His job requires tunnel vision. He will wave and smile, but the gallery gets little of his attention. The players, however, will be grateful for his expertise, and the clarity of his decisions. We had a chance to sit down with John and ask a few questions on the start2finish of becoming a rules official. Have a read, and be sure to thank him and his fellow officials when you see them at Porter Cup.
1-What or who inspired you to become a golf rules official?
#1 – I became a golf rules official accidentally!!! I have played golf tournaments since I was 12 (45 Years) and have been the golf coach at Williamsville North since 2004. So over time you gain an understanding of the rules and how to apply them as you become involved in different situations. So three Porter Cups ago, we were short a rules official and our head pro John Boss asked me if I could help out because he knew I had worked at various junior and high school tournaments as well as some men’s qualifiers for the NYSGA and USGA.
2-What sort of training and study is required to become a golf rules official?
#2 – Very simply, you try and know the rules and how they are applied. So you’re always studying the book! Its like watching a movie. The first time you see it you get the gist of it. But if watch it over and over again you catch new things and even start repeating the lines from the movie. The same with the USGA rule book – the more you study it the more you understand it. Also, I have attended a number of rules clinics/seminars put on by the NYSGA and USGA.
3-Tell us about the first event you ever worked.
#3 – Not sure actually, but it might have been the USGA Junior Amateur qualifier at Sheridan a few years back. If not, then definitely a BDGA junior qualifier.
4-You were the official on hand at Porter Cup 2018 for the Thomas Walsh rulings, on the 72nd hole, as he tried to protect a 3-shot lead. Walk us through what transpired.
#4 – Just when you think nothing can happen… it did. Tom hits his tee shot thin on the par 3, 18th and it is going over the green and out of bounds, but somehow hits the bank behind the green, pops into the air and lands in between a woman’s two blankets. First, we had to free the ball from the blankets because they were movable obstructions. Since the ball was on the obstruction, it had to be dropped. Of course both drops went out of bounds because of the slope of the bank. So the ball had to be placed. But he had a second problem because now the temporary scoreboard was in Tom’s way. Because the scoreboard was a temporary immovable obstruction (TIO) he received relief again. So we repeated the drops going out of bounds again and then the placement of the ball so he could finally play his second shot.
5-Continuing with Porter Cup, what areas of the Niagara Falls country club course are most likely to generate rulings?
#5 – If past history is an indication, the #3 green, #4 tee, and 6th green area seems to attract some action. Then the tee shot on the par three 12th and the drive of the par 5,13th. Lastly, up on the hill between #15 green, #16 tee and #17 is the other hot spot.
6-The USGA implemented a spate of new rules for 2019. Will any of those be front and center at Porter Cup 2019?
#6 – All of the new rules will be in play. Leaving the flag stick in while putting stands out the most. But being able to tap down and repair any marks on the green, only 3 minutes to search for a ball, the new penalty areas where players can move loose impediments and ground their club, and dropping from the knee are all new.
7-Give us one or two rules that will help every club golfer right now-rules that they ignore, or simply don’t know exist.
#7 – I think the most abused rule will be only three minutes to search for a lost ball – that 180 seconds goes fast, The local rule most golfers are not aware of to speed up everyday play is the new out of bounds/lost ball rule. If the club adopts the local rule, a player can go to the point where their ball went out of bonds or was lost and drop a new ball two club lengths onto the fairway for two penalty stokes instead of the stroke and distance penalty. This local rule is usually not used for tournament play and will not be in effect at the Porter Cup.
8-What other events will you work in 2019, or does your season end with Porter Cup?
#8 – After the Porter Cup, my plan is to work some of the BDGA men’s championship at Brierwood and some of the NYSGA Men’s Am at Crag Burn. Then it will be back to coaching HS golf.
9-What question didn’t we ask about officiating, that golfers should know? Ask it and answer it, please.
#9 – How much do you make as a rules official? I think one thing players don’t realize is that rules officials are not paid. We are all volunteers who love the game of golf.
Denny McCarthy Triumphant At 2015 Porter Cup
I know a young lady who has a thing for Denny McCarthy. She is a massive golf fan and has been singing his praises since he first stopped by the Porter Cup, prior to his freshman year at the University of Virginia. "This is his year," she would tell me, and she came...
Interview Series 2015: Darius Oliver
Darius Oliver is in the midst of a 90-day tour of the USA, in search of great golf. He is no stranger to the beast, as he has been here (and seemingly, everywhere else) before. Oliver is the creator and caretaker of Planet Golf, two tomes of golf course reviews and a...
Toronto 2015: End Of Day Saturday Report
Moving Day will now be known as DÃa de la mudanza, in honor of Marcelo Rozo. The Colombian went barmy and berserk with nine birdies and nine pars, to tie the competitive course record of 63 and jump all the way from Cali or Bogotá into second place in the Men's...
Toronto 2015: Saturday Is Moving Day, Indeed
As sure as there were hockey pucks for paperweights on the first tee at Angus Glen, the leaders and the followers in the Men's division knew that standing pat at par was not worth much on Pan Am Games Saturday. This was not the case for the women, where anything under...
Toronto 2015: Friday Afternoon Photo Gallery
Moving day is traditionally recognized as the Saturday/Third round of a golfing event. For the Pan Am Games of Toronto 2015, the vans might have arrived a day early. A great number of golfers were most likely eliminated from medal contention by Friday's uncooperative...
Toronto2015: Friday at the PanAm Games
Day two of the #Toronto2015 golf competition at the PanAm Games broke colder and wetter than its predecessor. Call it a steady drizzle, intermittent rain, or whatever you like. It took guts and focus to grind out a score as golfers reached the halfway point of the...
Toronto 2015: Golf Returns To IOC Competition
For those who follow Brasil 2016, it's known that golf will return to the Olympic Games for two cycles at minimum. From my vantage point, it's a dozen years late. The IOC might have taken advantage of all that Tiger Fever around 2000 and fast-tracked the...
Press Release: PGA Tour Professionals Comment-Sunice Webster Windshirt
Montreal, Quebec -- Sunice recently announced their summer 2015 Sport Layers collection featuring the Webster water repellent short sleeved windshirt. The collection is focused on providing the golf market the best performance outerwear available - while keeping the...
Reviews: Imperial Headwear and Expert Golf Guide/Log Book App
If you know BuffaloGolfer, then you've read reviews that conjoin unrelated products. We're not lazy; we simply prefer to give you more for your money. If you're to take the time to click through to a certain piece, we want to bring you disparate products and awaken...
A Quick Nine at South Park
I can count on one hand the number of area courses I haven't played. Of the private clubs, only Wanakah has escaped my attention. On the public side, places like Hillview in Fredonia, Chestnut Hill in Darien, Rolling Acres in Pike, and Eden Valley in Eden have slipped...
Buffalo District Golf Association 2015 Schedule
Golf season is heating up, even with the rains of June and July. The Buffalo District Golf Association has released its schedule of events for the remainder of the season. See below for tournaments that you should play and a teaser photo of each golf course. Men's...
Free Clinics at Arrowhead in July
The Arrowhead Golf Club will offer six clinics at the Arrowhead driving range. They will be conducted by PGA Professional Don Schneider.The dates are Saturday July 11th, 18th, and 25th. We will be offering two clinics per day: 10:00 - 11:00 am Open Adult Clinic 11:30...
Come on In!
Weekdays
08PM -12AM
Weekends
12 PM – 02 AM
Contact
Phone
+(000) 111 222 333
address@domain.com
Address
543 TN, doula street
NY, New York