This week’s Rules installment has to do with Rule 2: Match Play. As always, these scenarios are graciously provided by Dr. Robin Farran, who teaches Advanced Rules at the Golf Academy and is widely regarded as one of the top USGA Rules Officials in the country.
The format in each of the following situations is single match play. No referee is assigned to the match, however, the officials on the course may be consulted by players for rulings. What are the correct rulings?
1. During play of hole No. 1, Player B informs Player A that he (Player B) has 15 clubs and declares one of the extra clubs out of play. Player A informs Player B that having 15 clubs is a breach of the Rules and that he will ask for a ruling. The players complete the 1st hole (Player A scores a 4, Player B scores a 5) prior to discussing the situation with an official prior to the start of hole No. 2.
**Player A won hole No. 1 and was 1 up on completion of the hole. The official ruled that Player A made a valid claim regarding more than 14 clubs and the state of the match was adjusted by one hole. Player A was 2 up after the adjustment. See Rule 2-5 and the penalty statement for a breach of Rule 4-4a.
2. During play of hole No. 1, Player A looks in Player B’s golf bag and counts 15 clubs. Player A is reluctant to comment on his discovery. During play of hole No. 2, and after losing the 1st hole, Player A informs player B that he (Player A) will be seeking a ruling on Player B’s breach of the Rules for having 15 clubs in his bag. Player B counts his clubs and declares one club out of play. The players complete the 2nd hole (Player A scores a 5, Player B scores a 4) prior to discussing the situation with an official prior to the start of hole No. 3.
**Player B won holes 1 and 2 and was 2 up prior to the discussion of Player A’s claim with the official. The official ruled that Player A’s claim was not valid because the facts were known by Player A during hole No. 1 and no claim was made. The “facts were not previously unknown” to Player A. See Rule 2-5.
3. During play of hole No. 5, Player A sees Player B toss pine cones out of a bunker when Player B’s ball is still in the bunker. Player A informs Player B that removing pine cones from a hazard is a loss-of-hole penalty. Player B explains that his actions were for “care of the course” and are permitted actions and says he also cleaned up bunkers on the 1st and 2nd holes when his ball was in those bunkers.
Player A, unaware of Player B’s actions in the bunkers on holes 1 and 2 informs Player B that he is certain pine cones cannot be removed when a player’s ball is in a bunker and will ask an official for a ruling. The players discussed the incidents after completing hole No. 5.
**Upon completion of hole No. 5, Player B was 3 up. The official ruled that Player A’s claims were valid and Player B incurred loss-of-hole penalties on holes 1, 2, and 5. The claim was timely since the facts of the incidents became known to Player A during hole No. 5 and the claims were made before the start of hole No. 6. Player A was 1 up at the start of hole No. 6. In this incident, the facts relevant to the claim on holes 1 and 2 were previously unknown to Player A and therefore a claim during hole No. 5 was valid for all three holes.