The Dumbest Rule In Sports - A Golfer Was DQ'd On The 20th Hole Of His US Mid-Am Match Because His Caddie Accepted A Cart Ride To The Hole

[Source] - Mitzel lost the hole after his caddie, a longtime friend, accepted a cart ride from the first green to the par-4 second, the second extra hole. The walking rules official called the penalty, which, per Model Local Rule G-6, resulted in loss of the hole – and, in this case, the match.

MLR G-6 states, “During a round, a player or caddie must not ride on any form of motorized transportation except as authorized or later approved by the committee.”

Already on a flight home, Mitzel described the situation to Golf Channel in further detail. O’Rear had just gotten up and down from a greenside bunker while he had two-putted from 25 feet to tie the hole. While Mitzel marched up the hill to the next hole, his caddie, having just put the flagstick back in the hole, was asked if he wanted a ride to the next tee by one of the shuttle drivers, who had just shuttled the players from the 18th hole back to the first and was following the match to bring the players back to the clubhouse upon its conclusion.

Mitzel added that players were also being shuttled between the 14th and 15th holes on the desert layout. He also said that O’Rear asked the official if he could veto the ruling himself and continue the match, though that request was denied.

There's a lot of talk about dumb rules, especially in golf, but this has to be the dumbest one out of them all. You can argue the pros and cons of taking relief from a divot or something like that. But, this? Give me a fucking break. This is where we need some sort of common sense. We're not even talking about the player getting a ride to the 20th hole, we're talking about a caddie! In what world does that result in DQ or some massive competitive advantage? Your caddie isn't giving you a better read because he took one cart ride to the 20th hole. 

I want this official who denied the veto to be kicked off the tour, Doug. If the opponent is saying he doesn't want to advance via DQ, you have to let the boys play. I don't care what the rule book says, the rule book is clearly dumb as shit if this is part of it. Shout out Ryan O'Rear for at least trying to be the voice of reason and saying he wanted to veto the ruling. That's a competitor. That's a guy that can play in my group any day of the week. 

We really do need a common sense department in sports. It's where we can actually use our brains and improve the dumb rules we have. Targeting being an automatic ejection? Not anymore. Replay not having a 30 second limit to make a call? This is where we step in and use our brains to speed up the game. A caddie taking a ride to the 20th hole? No one gives a shit! See how simple that is? At the minimum this guy should have had the option to fire his caddie for the remaining holes of the round, carry his own bag and keep on playing. 

Easily one of the most brutal way to lose, if not the most brutal. I know they are friends and they are cool and all, but you gotta be somewhat pissed off here. I don't even care who you're pissed off at, you may have to fight someone on the way out of the US Mid-Am Tournament.