Jimmy Walker Confirms that “Backstopping” is Real

There are many unspoken traditions that golfers participate in, but there aren’t many left that are a mystery. However, one of golf’s greatest debates comes around the issue of “backstopping.”

Backstopping is the idea that one player will purposely not mark his ball to create a small but possible backstop for another golfer that could hit the ball too hard past the hole. Some people believe that players practice this on a regular basis while others believe they are coincidences.

Ben An and John Huh helping each other out here. What a joke. pic.twitter.com/k9chMb8FVD

— Michael Clayton (@MichaelClayto15) June 8, 2018

At least one professional has confirmed the conspiracy, however.

After former professional Mark Clayton was criticizing some videos that seemed to show players backstopping, Jimmy Walker stepped in to say that he backstops constantly and doesn’t think it’s a big deal. In fact, Walker says he asks players often if they want him to mark the ball or not.

Usually a guy will ask if he would like to mark it. If you don’t like a guy you will mark anyway. If you like the guy you might leave it to help on a shot. Some guys don’t want to give help at all and rush to mark their ball. To each his own.

— Jimmy Walker (@JimmyWalkerPGA) June 9, 2018

The issue that comes up here is that purposely backstopping is technically a rule violation that can result in disqualifications. The rule reads that “In stroke play if the committee determines that competitors have agreed not to lift a ball that might assist any competitor, they are disqualified.” So if this is a regular practice on the PGA TOUR, a lot of players could be in trouble.

Walker doesn’t seem worried, however, because it isn’t that big of a deal. When you think about the grand scheme of things, it is such a small likelihood that any ball would hit another one after racing past the hole. But it would only take one time for it to happen in the heat of a tournament-ending to spark a firestorm.

It seems like this issue could end up resulting in a rule change, much like the backlash after the Lexi Thompson penalty due to call-ins last year. Maybe if more people come out in favor of backstopping, the long thought theory will eventually become legal or called out during tournament.

Cover Image via Instagram