Charley Hoffman may want to turn off his phone the next time a ruling doesn’t go his way.
Hoffmann, a four-time PGA Tour winner, took to Instagram on Friday and went scorched earth mode on the PGA Tour and USGA over a penalty on the par-5 13thhole at TPC Scottsdale during the second round.
It all went wrong for Hoffman after his tee shot headed right and found the water. Hoffman had no complaint about that penalty stroke. But after he took a penalty drop, his ball rolled back into the water. He was assessed a second penalty stroke that led to a score of 7 on the hole en route to shooting 1-over 72 for the day. Hoffman blamed the PGA Tour for the location of the penalty area line and charged that the USGA, an amateur association that governs the Rules of Golf in North America and Mexico, shouldn’t write the rules at the professional level.
In a leap of logic perhaps deserving of another two-stroke penalty, Hoffman implied that it is situations such as his drop that is why players are interested in leaving the Tour for the proposed Saudi-backed Super Golf League (as if that has nothing to do with the boatloads of money reportedly being offered). Take a moment to appreciate how ticked off Hoffman must have been to hit send on this post. With no further adieu, here’s Hoffman’s Instagram post:
“What a joke,” Hoffman said on the social media site. “Dropped twice then place on a small tuff of grass. Turned around the ball started rolling into the water. I was under the impression that the USGA had changed that rule. I was wrong. Had to take another penalty for doing nothing wrong at all. Did everything by the book. It’s still mind blowing that a group of amateurs rule the professional game of golf. I also blame the PGA Tour rules officials for putting out a terrible penalty area line where this could even happen. No accountability at any level here. No protection for the players at all.
“You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour. Players need transparency, protection and consistency. We don’t have that under the current governing bodies.”
Hoffman tagged the PGA Tour and USGA and various media outlets as well as the Saudi International, which was contested last week as part of the Asian Tour and lured more than 20 PGA Tour players to play there with lucrative guaranteed money.
But Hoffman, who is a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board, wasn’t done ranting. Next he added PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan to the conversation.
“Sorry Jay! We need to do better at all levels of the PGA Tour. Including myself who represent the players on the board of the Tour. If we don’t we won’t have a Tour any longer!” wrote Hoffman, who has won more than $32 million during his career. “Hopefully there will be a change soon.”
Among those who responded in the comments supporting Hoffman were Phil Mickelson (“I feel ya”) and Bryson DeChambeau (“Agree wholeheartedly”). Mickelson called out the Tour last week for being “obnoxiously greedy” and DeChambeau reportedly was offered $150 million to join the Saudi rival league.
But not every player lined up behind Hoffman. Emiliano Grillo and Blayne Barber sent essentially the same comment (“Haha, don’t hit it in the water”) and did so with good humor.
Just another Friday night on the PGA Tour.
