Dr. Robin Farran is widely regarded as one of the preeminent USGA Rules Officials in the country, and he just happens to teach Advanced Rules at the Golf Academy of America. Yesterday, Dr. Farran told me he sends out Rules incidents, like the ones you’re about to read below, 50 weeks a year to 460 recipients. This labor of love takes time!
On Thursday, Dr. Farran is one of the keynote speakers (along with Brad Gregory) at a PGA Southwest Section Rules Seminar being hosted by the Academy. Here are his rulings for the week of December 1st:
In each of the following cases, the player has played a dropped ball. In which case (if any) has the player proceeded correctly?
Player A, in taking relief from a paved cart path, dropped the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, not nearer the hole. The dropped ball rolled nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief but not nearer the hole than the original position if the ball.
Player B’s ball is in a lateral water hazard. In taking relief, Player B dropped a substituted ball nearer the hole than the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the hazard and the ball rolled into the prescribed area.
In taking relief from a paved cart path, Player C’s first drop struck the club used to mark the one club-length from the nearest point of relief. The second drop landed within the one club-length area and rolled onto the cart path. Player C placed the ball as near as possible to the spot where the ball struck the course on the second drop.
In taking relief from a paved cart path, Player D’s first drop struck the club used to mark the one club-length from the nearest point of relief. The second drop landed within the one-club length area and rolled onto the cart path. The third drop landed within the one club-length area and rolled nearer the hole than the original position of the ball. Player D placed the ball as near as possible to the spot where the ball struck the course on the third drop.
Player A is required to re-drop under Rule 20-2c(vii)b
Player B’s ball was not dropped under Rule 26-1c as prescribed by Rule 20-2b
Player C’s first drop did not count. Player C lifted the ball as required by Rule 20-2a and was required to re-drop the ball under Rule 20-2c(v)
Player D is the only player who proceeded correctly. The first drop did not count. Player D lifted the ball as required by Rule 20-2a and proceeded correctly under Rule 20-2b and Rule 20-2c(vii)
Players A, B, and C each incur a loss-of-hole penalty in match play or a two-stroke penalty in stroke play for playing a stroke at a ball that was not properly in play. The Rules that were breached are noted above.