Now that we’re less than two weeks away from graduation, I think a lot of us have started reminiscing about our experience here at the Golf Academy. In my opinion, one of the most pleasantly unexpected benefits of attending school here has been learning the Rules of Golf.
I’m not just talking about learning the Rules. I’m talking about really knowing the Rules. It’s gotten to the point that when a television microphone picks up a PGA Tour player’s interaction with a Rules Official, I pay extra close attention to hear what the ruling is and how the Rules Official administers it. “Are you aware of all your options?” has more meaning now than it ever did before.
Dr. Robin Farran is one of the country’s top USGA Rules Officials. He works most, if not all of the championships conducted by the USGA, and he teaches Advanced Rules at the Academy.
Not to take anything away from PGA Professional Ed Ekis, but one of my few regrets since I’ve been here at the GAA is not getting to hear all of Dr. Farran’s Rules stories – tales of penalties and disqualifications from tournaments of yesteryear – because he was out on medical leave last semester.
The good news is that I still get to live vicariously through Dr. Farran’s weekly Rules emails. I think most of these incidents actually happened and that everyone sends them to Dr. Farran for clarification because he’s the best in the business! Dr. Farran is kind enough to pass them along to his more than 450 devout email followers “for the good of the game.” Thank you again, Dr. Farran.
Par 3 15th
On the par-3 15th hole, Player A’s tee shot heads directly towards the area marked as a lateral water hazard right of the putting green. Player A announces, “I might not find my ball in the water hazard so I will play a provisional ball”. After the two fellow-competitors play their tee shots, Player A plays a second ball that comes to rest about one foot from the hole.
As a Rules Official arrives at hole #15, he sees three balls on or near the putting green and a player in the lateral water hazard. After seeing Player A make two swings at a ball in the hazard, the Rules Official approaches Player A for a discussion. During the discussion Player A stated that the provisional was played in case the original ball was not found in the lateral water hazard. There was certainty by Player A that the original ball was in the hazard.
What is the Rules Official’s instruction to Player A?
**After clarifying with Player A that Player A knew with certainty that the original ball was in the lateral water prior to playing a second ball, the Rules Official explained to Player A that the ball on the putting green was Player A’s ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1) – Player A was not entitled to play a ball provisionally for a ball that was known to be in a water hazard.
Additionally, Player A incurred a two-stroke penalty for playing two strokes at a wrong ball – the original ball was lost and was a wrong ball.
Player A lies 5 on the putting green about one foot from the hole.
See Rule 27-2a, Definitions of “Lost Ball” and “Wrong Ball” and Rule 15-3b.
Another Arizona Incident
Player A sees her tee shot on a par-4 hole head towards a lateral water hazard right of the fairway. Player A and the other three players in the group are all certain that the ball is in the pond.
Player A, with agreement of the fellow-competitors, determines the reference point for relief and Player A drops a substituted ball in accordance with Rule 26-1c.
As the fellow-competitors walk toward their tee shots, Player A’s original ball is found outside the hazard in a very unexpected location. The fellow-competitors suggest that the original ball is the ball in play, likely the ball bounced out of the hazard after hitting a rock or some other object.
Player A, not sure of what to do, tells the fellow-competitors that she will finish the hole with both balls and check with the tournament director after the round.
**Player A and the fellow-competitors were certain that the original ball was in the lateral water hazard, therefore, the substituted ball, dropped in accordance with Rule 26-1c, is Player A’s ball in play and will count for the hole.
After dropping the substituted ball, Player A had doubt as a result of her fellow-competitors’ suggestion that the original ball found outside the hazard was the ball in play. When Player A elected to finish the hole with both balls, Player A is deemed to have proceeded under Rule 3-3. There is no penalty for play of the original ball.
See Rule 3-3 and Decisions 26-1/3.5 and 26-1/5.
Score Card Scenarios
Prior to the close of competition, Player A, after signing and returning his score card, remembered that he had forgotten to include a penalty that he knew he had incurred on the 7th hole.
Player A reported the error to the Committee.
**Player A is disqualified for returning a score on hole #7 that was lower than actually taken, a breach of Rule 6-6d. See Rule 6-6d and Decision 6-6d/6.
Prior to the close of competition, Player B, after signing and returning his score card, discovered during a lunch-time conversation with friends that he had breached Rule 13-4c during play of the 7th hole.
Player B reported the error to the Committee.
**Player B’s score card is amended for hole #7 to include a two-stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 13-4c and an additional two-stroke penalty for returning a score that was incorrect due to a penalty that Player B did not know he had incurred. See the Exception to Rule 6-6d.
After the close of competition, Player C, after signing and returning his score card, remembered that he had forgotten to include a penalty that he knew he had incurred on the 7th hole.
Player C reported the error to the Committee.
**Player C is disqualified for an incorrect score that he knew he had incurred. See Rule 34-1b, Exception (iii). [There is no time limit on an incorrect score unless the player was not aware of an error or penalty until after the competition has closed.]
After the close of competition, Player D, after signing and returning his score card, discovered during a lunch-time conversation with friends that he had breached Rule 13-4c during play of the 7th hole.
Player D reported the error to the Committee.
**Since the discovery of the breach occurred after the competition had closed, Player D incurs no penalties or disqualification. See Exception (iii) to Rule 34-1b.
The correct application of Rule 6-6d and Rule 34-1b depends on when the player becomes aware of a penalty that he incurred as well as whether strokes recorded on a score card were lower than actually taken.