Billy Andrade Had a Senior Moment at Congressional
Play it up or play it down?
When playing an outdoor sport, the weather is always an issue.
With golf, it’s been two weeks where rain has been a concern.
It is unlikely that any of the four majors would allow for the ball to be played up.
So last week at the PGA Championship, although rain was a problem, the ball was played down. That means players could not pick up the ball off the fairway and clean it, creating issues with mud balls and complaints from some of the 156 players.
However, purists would argue that this is part of the game.
At last week’s Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama, rain was also a concern. The Regions is one of the five majors on the Champions Tour.
Unlike the PGA, where they played it down, the over-50 set played the ball up. So, when Billy Andrade, who has played in 11 seasons on the Champions Tour, bent over to mark his ball in the 14th fairway this week at the Senior PGA at Congressional Country Club, his caddie, Mark “Ziggy” Zyons, looked over and asked, “What are you doing?”
Almost immediately, Andrade knew he had experienced a “brain cramp,” so he probably could have answered his caddie by saying, “We’re not in Alabama anymore.”
Andrade knew as soon as he picked the ball up that he had made a mistake. His actions cost him a stroke, making his 1-under-par 71 an even-par 72.
“I knew we were playing down; we always do in this championship,” said Andrade. “I can’t believe I did it.”
Billy Andrade Had a Senior Moment at Congressional first appeared on Athlon Sports on May 22, 2025
