‘Total clown show’: Pro sounds off on tour’s golf cart policy
Paul Goydos' since deleted tweet.
@PaulGoydosPGA
Paul Goydos does not like pros using golf carts and he made sure everyone — especially Jay Monahan — knew it Saturday night.
In a tweet — which he later deleted — Goydos posted a photo of several carts in a fairway ahead of him. In the accompanying text he wrote that it was unfair for players to use carts in competition on the PGA Tour Champions. He also took a shot at Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, for not doing something about it.
“I am now a a (sic) competitive disadvantage walking on the @ChampionsTour,” the tweet read. “If the PGA Tour had a commissioner that had an ounce of leadership skills he would ban them( I’m fine with ADA exceptions). It’s a total clown show.”
Carts are allowed on the PGA Tour Champions, with the exception of a few bigger events and the majors, but there are many restrictions regarding their use. For instance, players may not have their bags on their cart and their caddie is not allowed to drive the cart at any point during the round unless specified by tournament officials.
Goydos, not one to shy away from his opinions throughout his career continued defending his position. He replied to at least 32 tweets through Sunday morning.
In one reply, he explained how he has seen players in carts use it to drive ahead and survey the landing area for their next shot before walking to play their ball. The 2022 PGA Tour Champions Player Handbook states “When practical, carts should not be driven past your own ball or that of your playing partner, and should not be parked in close proximity to any ball in play.”
He also referenced multiple times the lawsuit against the PGA Tour by Casey Martin which allowed him to use a cart in competition under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Goydos said the Tour’s argument was that walking was integral to the game and he agrees with that viewpoint — although if using a cart allows someone with a disability to compete, he supports it.
Still, he claimed most players do not need a cart to compete. The 58-year-old said no players will skip next week’s Regions Tradition, a major on the over-50 circuit, because players can’t take carts in senior majors.
Goydos also said that even though he feels it would be advantageous to use a cart and he’s able to do so, he felt it would be hypocritical.
By Sunday morning, Goydos deleted the original tweet, but the replies were still there.
Goydos has two wins on the PGA Tour and six wins on the PGA Tour Champions, the last coming at the 2017 3M Championship. He entered the final round of this week’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic tied for 21st, 11 shots off the lead.
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