Caddies Lining Up Players To Be Banned

This week marks the final time players will be lined up by their caddies on the LPGA Tour

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Caddies Lining Up Players To Be Banned

A bugbear of golf fans is when they turn on the TV and see players on Tour being lined up by their caddies.

It takes a few extra seconds and can be construed as coaching, and is mainly seen in the women’s game.

It’s also something so far away from the game amateurs play where they certainly don’t have someone standing behind them telling them where they’re aiming.

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From 2019, though, we won’t be seeing players getting lined up by their caddies due to a new rule forbidding it.

This week’s CME Group Tour Championship, the season finale on the LPGA Tour, will mark the final time players can be lined up by their caddies because their next event takes place in 2019.

One of the players who still gets lined up by her caddie is Brittany Lincicome, who says her and her caddie will continue doing it this week for the final time.

“We are definitely going to play with her lining me up and then figure it out next year,” Brittany Lincicome said ahead of the week.

Brittany Lincicome is one LPGA Tour player who gets lined up by her caddie. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

“It’s really more like a trigger,” her caddie Missy Pederson said.

“It’s something she will just have to re-establish for next year. I don’t foresee it being a problem. She plays off weeks and in the off season without me lining her up, and she’s fine.”

Former world number one and 15-time LPGA Tour winner Lydia Ko has been lined up by her caddie since before turning pro but doesn’t see it being banned as an issue.

“It’s more a confidence thing,” Ko said.

“I think 99.9 percent of the time, I am aligned where I want to be, but just knowing for sure gives you confidence to go up and rip it. Confidence is such a huge key in golf.

“With the new rule, I don’t think it’s going to be like, ‘Oh my God, what am I doing?’ It’s going to be fine.”

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