[PHOTO: Sports Illustrated/Getty Images]
It’s common courtesy to do a good rake job after you play a shot from a bunker, but it’s even more important to do so during competition. A tournament’s integrity counts on a level playing field and properly levelling out that actual field – or, sand, in this case – is part of that. Unfortunately, there have been issues with this, though, even at the game’s highest levels.
We’ve seen a few #rakegates in recent years from Jordan Spieth taking a photo of his poor lie at the 2017 Players Championship to Matthew Wolff getting hosed down the stretch of the 2021 Shriners Children’s Open. In these situations, golfers are, well, screwed. And as you can imagine, they are NOT happy with whomever was responsible.
But you probably don’t have to worry about a bad rake job happening at this week’s Asian Tour Q-School, because the event is cracking down on culprits by hitting them with a fine. And a pretty steep one at that.
Thanks to The Fire Pit Collective’s Ryan French, a.k.a. Monday Q Info on Twitter, for unearthing this bizarre bunker nugget from Arizona’s Oakcreek Country Club, which is one of the first-round sites from later today:
Yep, that’s $A450. For “FAILURE TO RAKE A BUNKER PROPERLY”. That’s a lot of money – especially for Asian Tour hopefuls. Heck, the final stage of Q-School isn’t even for another couple of months.
Actually, if you think about what’s on the line – a possible full-time gig playing golf on the Asian Tour, which now has a lucrative link to LIV Golf – it kind of makes sense. Golfers shouldn’t have to worry about playing out of someone else’s mess. Although, we’re guessing/hoping there aren’t golfers and caddies out there purposely doing bad rake jobs to hurt opponents. Anyway, watch out for the Bunker Police this week in Arizona.
