The key parties involved in what appeared, on video, to be a rules breach on the part of Brooks Koepka’s caddie and playing partner Gary Woodland and his caddie during the opening round of the Masters have brushed it aside — even as a new question about the interaction emerged.
After their second rounds, Koepka, Woodland and Koepka’s caddie, Ricky Elliott, all said there was no rules violation because there was no intent to aid a fellow player.
The incident in question occurred on the 15th hole when, after Koepka hit a 5-iron approach shot, Elliott flashed five fingers in the direction of Woodland’s caddie, Brennan Little.
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On Friday (US time), Masters officials brought Koepka and Woodland into a room to look at video and go over it again, as they had after the first round. That’s because in the video, as Koepka took his glove off after hitting the 5-iron, it looked like he flashed a “five’’ with his hand.
“We were just … when I finished today’s round, (we) were brought in,’’ said Koepka, who was 12-under and three shots clear of the field when play was suspended.
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“Today was just about my hand and my glove. I don’t know if you’re supposed to take your glove off with your fist closed or what now.
“The last thing I’m going to do is give (the club selection) to Gary Woodland, the (2019) U.S. Open champ. And the funny part about it is I think if he would have known we were hitting five, he would have hit six because I don’t think Gary is that short and he’s 10 (yards) in front of me.’’
Rule 10.2a states that golfers aren’t allowed to give advice or ask other golfers for advice. The penalty for both parties would be two strokes.
After the opening round, Masters officials showed the video to the players and their caddies and asked them about it. They said they were satisfied that there was no breach of rules.
Elliott, sitting in a cart that was about to whisk him away from the front of Augusta National’s clubhouse Friday after Koepka’s round, was asked by The Post if he said the word “five” to Little on the 15th fairway on Thursday, after Koepka hit the green with a 5-iron and before Woodland played his approach.
“No, it was just a completely different situation,” Elliott said. “No comment. It’s all sorted.”
Asked if he felt he had fielded unfair criticism over the incident, Elliott said, “Yes, I do.
“Brooks hit his shot on 15. I asked ‘Butchy’ (Little) if he saw what he hit (and) he said, ‘No,’’’ Woodland said.
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“When we were walking down (the fairway), I asked Brooks what he hit, and he said (five.) If I would have known that, I probably would have hit 6-iron, and I would have hit 6-iron in the middle of the water. Luckily for me, I didn’t know what he hit. That’s the end of it.’’
Said Woodland about the Friday inquiry: “They told us it was getting to be a big deal. They told us inside it was taking a big life. At the end of the day, I didn’t hear anything or I didn’t see anything. My caddie didn’t hear anything or see anything either.
“That’s why they brought us in and showed us all the angles. At the end of the day, ‘Butchy’ didn’t see anything or hear anything. That’s where we left it.’’
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was republished with permission.
