A lot of PGA Tour players are unhappy with the golf rule changes enacted this year, especially the drop rule. Rickie Fowler is among them, and he took his criticism to a new level Thursday by trolling the new rule in an, let’s say unconventional way.
At one point during his opening round at the Honda Classic, Fowler needed to make a drop in the fairway. Having violated the drop rule last week, Fowler made sure to ask a nearby rules official about the correct place to drop.
Then, Rickie squatted over the spot, reached behind his back and pretended to make the drop between his legs. You get the idea, and if you don’t just look at the photo below and you’ll understand.
This is the appropriate drop form, as demonstrated by @RickieFowler @NoLayingUp @the_woke_yolk pic.twitter.com/Hjh5PvgUTm
— Ryan Kennedy (@kennedyryanj) February 28, 2019
After he got the laughs he was searching for, Fowler took another shot at dropping his ball in the conventional way demanded by golf’s new rule changes. You can check out a video of the entire moment below.
Rickie shows us the proper way to take a drop. pic.twitter.com/j8AgWz0XHq
— Skratch (@Skratch) February 28, 2019
Fowler’s troll job did not occur in a vacuum. He had one of the most high-profile run-ins with the golf rule changes at last week’s WGC-Mexico Championship.
Fowler was playing Club de Golf Chapuletec’s 10th hole when he shanked his second shot OB. He then made a drop from shoulder height and proceeded to play his shot. Under the new golf rule changes, players are required to make drops from knee height. Since he didn’t correct his error, Fowler was penalized one stroke and made a triple-bogey 7 on the hole.
After his round, Fowler slammed the new rule, calling it a “terrible change.”
At the very least, Thursday’s video proves that Fowler has learned the proper drop process, even if he still thinks it’s terrible.
