Charley Hoffman Rips PGA Tour, USGA Over Rules Issue

Charley Hoffman, who is a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board, called his additional penalty at the WM Phoenix Open "a joke."

Charley Hoffman took to social media on Friday to call out the USGA and the PGA Tour after a rules issue resulted in a double bogey during the second round of the WM Phoenix Open.

Hoffman said it was “a joke” that he was forced to take an additional one-stroke penalty after he tried to place his ball on a slope at the TPC Scottsdale’s 13th hole where he hit his tee shot in the water and attempted to take a drop.

The veteran Tour player, who is a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board, not only had an issue with the rule but called out the Tour for the way it treats is players and sympathized with those who are mulling joining a rival golf league.

Hoffman unsuccessfully dropped twice outside the penalry area and was then allowed to place the ball on a tuft of grass. Moments later, it rolled away, back into the water. The rules state that if a ball moves by “natural forces,” no penalty is incurred and the ball would be played from the new spot the ball comes to rest. However, since Hoffman’s ball rolled in the water, it was deemed lost and he was penalized a stroke.

He wrote a lengthy post on Instagram where he criticized the Tour for allowing “amateurs” at the USGA to make the rules, took PGA Tour rules officials to task for the “terrible penalty line area” and said he understood why players might want to jump to another league, presumably the one being led by Greg Norman.

“I was under the impression that the USGA had changed that rule. I was wrong,” Hoffman said. “Had to take another penalty for doing nothing wrong at all. Did everything by the book. It's still mind blowing that a group of amateurs rule the professional game of golf. I also blame the PGA Tour rules officials for putting out a terrible penalty area line where this could even happen. No accountability at any level here. No protection for the players at all. You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour. Players need transparency, protection and consistency. We don't have that under the current governing bodies.”

A similar issue led to a triple bogey for Rickie Fowler at the 2019 WM Phoenix Open, which he went on to win.

Hoffman tagged several media outlets, the Saudi International account and referenced PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan: “Sorry Jay! We need to do better at all levels of the PGA Tour. Including myself who represent the players on the board of the Tour. If we don't we won't have a Tour any longer! Hopefully there will be a change soon.”

After the post on Instagram, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau responded in with comments backing up Hoffman.

"I feel ya," Mickelson wrote.

“Agree wholeheartedly," DeChambeau said.

Not all the responses supported Hoffman.

Former Tour player Blayne Barber said: “Don't hit it in the water."

Update: On Saturday morning Hoffman apologized via his Instagram account.