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Rickie Fowler takes to toilet humor to give thoughts on PGA's new drop rule

Rickie Fowler staged a crude protest to the PGA's new drop rule at the Honda Classic on Thursday. (Getty)
Rickie Fowler staged a crude protest to the PGA's new drop rule at the Honda Classic on Thursday. (Getty)

The new drop rule is a source of angst early on in the PGA Tour season.

In previous years, players were allowed to make drops from any distance above or below the knee. Now those drops must be made from knee level, which has irked some regulars.

Players not happy

Golf.com reported that Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy are among the prominent Tour players who aren’t pleased with the new rule.

“Doesn’t do any good, and honestly it’s like a frustrating asterisk that I have to re-pick it up and re-drop from your knee,” Spieth said before the Sony Open.

While dropping from the knee gives players more control over how their ball lands than from a higher distance, it appears adjusting to the rule and having to re-drop is a headache in the rule’s early stages.

Rickie Fowler paid the price

No player has experienced as much frustration with the rule as Rickie Fowler, who started his round last week at a tournament in Mexico City with a triple-bogey when he violated the rule.

The rule allows for players to re-drop when they don’t make a drop from knee height, but Fowler hit his ball before realizing his mistake, resulting in the penalty.

Fowler’s crude response

On Thursday, Fowler found himself in a drop situation at the opening round of Honda Classic. He let his take on the new rule be known in less-than-subtle fashion.

Well, that looks about knee level all right.

It’s also reminiscent of Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin’s infamous touchdown celebration in Super Bowl XLIX.

Fowler didn’t actually make the crude gesture for his actual drop, as can be seen from the clip here.

But his feelings were made perfectly clear. He did not appreciate the debacle that ended up in a penalty last week.

The drama over the drop seems like it should fade fairly quickly once players get the hang of it. Why would anyone be truly upset about a rule that ensures more consistency with drops from a point that gives players more control?

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