Just wondering about this as I have been to many tournaments but never a practice round or Pro-Am. When they practice, do they walk or ride? I do know,( because I've seen pictures), that they can wear shorts at some tournament clubs for practice rounds.
At the pro-ams I've watched, they walk. I would imagine that's the case for practice rounds too, because they want to do whatever they will do in the tournament.
Tour golfers are never allowed to wear shorts during a PGA tour event. That includes pro-ams and practice days.
Caddies can where shorts when the heat index is above 98*.
PGA and Nationwide Players can never ride in a cart unless they has a medical exemption, ala Casey Martin.
Champions Tour players can ride in carts for non-major tournaments. They are not allowed to ride in carts during the pro-ams. Mr. Finchem and the corporate sponsors want the players to "mingle" with the crowd and amateur golfers.
Im not sure about the PGA or Nationwide tours, but I can say for certain that Champions Tour players mostly use carts in all their rounds.
I know this because I work at a course that is a stop on the Champions Tour and I can tell you with certainty that for the practice rounds and pro ams, about 70-80% used carts and for the tournament (or at least their caddies did... all I know is they took about 60 carts out with a field of 85), there were about half. Most of the younger guys on the champions tour walked. All of the amateur players in the pro ams used carts, ALL OF THEM.
(BTW... I work at the Hills CC in Austin, TX where the Kinkos Classic was held earlier this month)
The PGA players and Nationwide players always walk. During their practice rounds they actually walk about twice as much as they spend half the round identifying spots on the fairway where they want to put their drives during the tournament so as to have the best angles to the pin placements - course management is what separates a great amateur from a tour pro and walking all around is actually part of that drill.
Also, in the practice rounds, it's interesting watching the pros on the putting greens. I think the pins are usually set up somewhere near the middle of the green on practice round days and for the pro-ams. This is why the pros will practice putts to various areas of the green they think the pins will be at. I wonder how the pros determine those positions.
I think the question was geared toward non competitive rounds? If so I say they always ride at there home tracks. These guys walk alot of golf and if there going out to hit some shots there NOT walking. I bet 99% of tour pros dont even keep score in non tourny situations unless there playing a money game which they usually play during practice rounds.
I believe that they walk, I think they only ride if necessary to get them back to a whole for like a playoff or something. Plus i believe that all golfers should walk.
I'm trying to get a clip from last night's local news. They were asking a few of the guys competing at Colonial what they wanted to do when they retired. One pro (I wish I could remember who ) said all he wanted was to be able to ride in a cart!
May 22nd, 2007, 11:08 PM
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