PGA Tour bans fun -- and flying objects -- at 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open

The PGA Tour, in a follow-up to its 2013 ban on caddie races on the renowned 16th hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, has issued a ban on players tossing things at the fans surrounding the most raucous spot in golf.

A tweet from Golfweek’s Alex Miceli brought attention to the new rule warning participants in Tiger Woods’ first outing of 2015 (coincidence? Hmmm) not to take part in a tradition as sacred as the running of the loopers.

“At this year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, for fan safety reasons,” read the notice tacked up in the locker room at Waialae, site of this week’s Sony Open, “players and caddies are prohibited from throwing, kicking or otherwise propelling items into the crowd on the 16th hole.”

The admonition went over about as well with the Twitter-verse as it will, no doubt, with the rambunctious bleacher creatures crowded into the grandstand and skyboxes around TPC Scottsdale’s infamous par-3 later this month. One wise guy scrawled “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” on the notice, setting the tone for the online protests, which likened Tim Finchem’s association to the “No Fun League” that many believe the NFL has become under commissioner Roger Goodell’s no-celebrations leadership.

Fun or no fun — and to be sure, it’s always been a kick to watch (from afar) Padraig Harrington teeing up footballs, Bubba Watson tossing shades, and other players tossing assorted sundries and notions into the crowd — the tour was not kidding.

“This was put into effect for the safety of fans,” communications director Joel Schuchmann told SB Nation via e-mail Tuesday night.

“With the set-up now at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, there are multiple levels of grandstands at the 16th that are a potential hazard for someone reaching over the railing for a thrown item if they were to fall,” Schuchmann wrote. “That is in addition to the potential for someone to be crushed by a surge of people trying to catch an item. I would liken this to the NFL prohibiting footballs being thrown into the stands for similar reasons.”

We might suggest that the adult beverages the frat boys imbibe all day as they wait for their chances to cheer and jeer the best players in the world are more likely to lead to injury than the tossing of t-shirts at spectators, but the selling of beer has yet to make it to the restricted list.

In any case, there may be a bit of wink wink nudge nudge going on as far as tourney officials actually imposing the sanction. Nowhere in the advisory does it state, for example, that players and caddies may not give items directly to the patrons — though such hand-to-hand contact could be hazardous to a golfer’s health.

“If a player is going by handing them out or flipping them to someone in the first row, that’s fine,” the tour’s chief of operations Andy Pazder told the Associated Press. “But not going by throwing things like a Frisbee.”