Did Rory commit a rules infringement?

A small controversy has blown up over Rory’s second shot out of the bunker on 18 on Thursday. He managed, through a contortionist act, to get the ball out for par.

The issue is whether his caddie, Harry Diamond, stood behind him as he took his stance, contravening Rule 10.2b(4) which says

“Once a player begins taking a stance for the stroke and until the stroke is made the player’s caddie must not deliberately stand on or close to an extension of the line of play behind the ball for any reason”

I have had a look at the broadcast for Thursday again and while the caddie is behind him for a moment, he moves away as Rory re-addresses his stance and then plays the shot. He was still adjusting his stance after the caddie stepped away. From what I saw the brief time that the caddie was behind him he was not directly behind his line of play he was well to the left of the shot. If the rule has been infringed, it would have been completely inadvertent and not deliberate. 

This is petty nit picking, but social media has shown some comments from LIV supporters saying that if this had been Patrick Reed a storm would have erupted. I wonder why? It would have had  nothing to do with certain LIV players being singled out, it would have been about their previous. This is just annoying and meant to distract Rory and undermine his serenity this week. It’s got no substance.

On Friday Xander Schueffele was caught in a controversy on the 6th hole when after hitting an impressive shot he appeared to mouth “six” to Cameron Smith.

This lead to R&A Chief od Staff David Rickman interviewing both players at Scorers after they finished their round. Rickman then said he was 100% sure that what Schauffele had said was “thanks”.

Schauffele’s caddie also told on course reporter Notah Begay that the club hit was actually a 5-iron.

If proved this would have been a violation of rule 10.2a giving advice to another player.

This follows the incodent at The Masters when Brooks Koepka’s caddie was thought to be he,ping Gary Woodland’s caddie by mouthing ‘five’ with Koepka seeming to signal the number with his hand.

Realistically, top caddie Craig Connolly says “It happens every day, multiple times a round. It happens in every professional tournament”.