Maybe it's because I'm new to the game or maybe it's because, while I enjoy the competition tournaments provide, I just don't take them that seriously. If someone foot-faults or doesn't place their relief from casual water perfectly on the line, I'm not going to complain or call them on it. I'm not good enough to be such a stickler. But if people call me on an infraction I'll thank them for pointing it out because I didn't know it was wrong. Mea culpa...live and learn. Gonna make me a better, more knowledgeable player in the long run.
The rules are pretty common sense for the most part, but some of them you have to learn and I'm doing my best to get every one down pat. However, in my limited experience it's the common sense ones people seem to have the most trouble with...and those are the ones that really grind my gears.
Last month I was playing in a C-Tier event in South Carolina. My first PDGA sanctioned tournament. Sucked first round and found myself on the bottom card for the second. No big deal....helped me relax and shake off the first-tourney jitters. I settled down and started playing well.
Cardmate 1 was extremely cool, playing in his first tournament ever. The other guy (Cardmate 2) had played in events before and was amiable enough, but talked a lot about what I "should do" in certain situations and what discs I'm "supposed to throw" for certain shots. He was trying to be helpful, but it wasn't necessary. Anyways, 2 started playing "way worse" than he "normally does" and seemed to be trying to pull one over on us. Example: On the seventh hole he griplocks one over the street OB. 1 does the same. 1 is further back so I go help him retrieve his disc since he's a little bit older. On the way I grab 2's disc and toss it to him. He thanks me and says something to the effect that it "sucks throwing three from 200 feet out."
As I'm walking to help 1 get his disc, I see 2 throw his 3rd into the woods. As I'm coming up from the hill, I see him bang his 4th into a tree five-feet in front of his lie. 1 takes his third and misses, I shoot my second and miss. 1 misses his shot, I bang in my par and 1 drops his bogey. 2 drops his in the basket and we walk to the next hole.
I've got the card and I ask for scores. 1 says bogey and 2 says bogey. I look at 2 and ask, "You sure?" He's all, "Wait, no...I got a double." as he's lighting up a bowl. I say, "Bro, I watched you bang your fourth into the tree after you threw your third in the woods."
"Yeah, but I made the putt."
"No, you didn't," I say. "You missed and dropped in."
"No, I made that one."
"From where?"
"From the tree."
Incredulous at his audacity I ask, "So what shot did you drop in from under the basket just now?"
"Oh....you're right. I got a six."
Later, on the VERY NEXT HOLE.....
1 and I have both sunk our bogeys and 2 is steadily running every 20-footer since his missed bogey putt, resulting in more 20-footers that he apparently can't make. Finally, shooting for double-par he bangs it off the basket and it rolls about 12 feet from the pin. He walks up to his disc and picks it up saying, "Glad that's over!"
I'm floored. "You're not going to shoot that?"
"Oh....you want me to?" he asks.
"Pretty much. You know this is a tournament, right? There's no 'gimmes'."
He sighs, says "Fine," and makes the putt.
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The guy was an okay dude, but those weren't the only holes 1 and I had issues with him. I didn't want to be a d!ck, but what he was doing was just ignorant. I finally started counting his strokes for him, which is an unnecessary additional distraction to have during a tournament. Your mileage may vary, but I don't think being honest and putting out are unreasonable expectations.