The Masters Tournament may be over, but the Rules of Golf controversy regarding the Tiger Woods drop on the #15 hole at Augusta National will be discussed for years. A lot of the trouble was caused by the committee in charge of running and administering the Masters. It baffles me that the Masters is the only one of the four major tournaments that does not assign a walking rules official with each group. Part of the Masters tradition is that no one is allowed inside the ropes during play other than players, caddies and TV cameramen. You will not see a walking scorer, media or rules officials. Rules officials are stationed in carts around the golf course and wait to be called upon if needed. Weekly PGA Tour events are run the same way because there are not enough rules officials on the PGA Tour staff for each group. A regular PGA Tour event usually has eight officials. The major championships have rules officials from around the world who have been invited to attend and participate.
If a walking rules official had been with Woods he would have been able to
make sure that Woods understood his options after his third shot on hole 15 hit the flagstick and caromed back into the water. The official would also have instructed Woods to make certain that his drop was as near to where he had hit his previous shot as possible.
Even if a walking rules official had failed to instruct Woods, the rules committee chairman, Fred Ridley, after he was alerted to the possibility the drop was incorrect, should have met Woods in the scoring area to ask him what happened and, if necessary, take him to the TV trucks to review the drop. Instead, Ridley ruled that Woods had not violated the rules before Woods finished his round. It was only after Woods related what he had done in a TV interview that the issue arose again and it was not until Saturday morning that Woods was penalized. The committees initial ruling was wrong and Ridley should have spoken directly to Woods before making a ruling.
Up until two years ago, the committee would have had no choice under the rules but to disqualify Woods for signing a wrong scorecard even if the committees mistake caused it to happen. Rule 33 – 7 Disqualification Penalty, Committee Discretion states: “A penalty of disqualification may in exceptional cases be waived, modified or imposed if the Committee considers such action warranted. Any penalty less than disqualification must not be waived or modified. If a Committee considers that a player is guilty of a serious breach of etiquette, it may impose a penalty of disqualification under the Rule”.
The intent of Rule 33 – 7 was to protect players who could not have known they violated a rule such as in the case of the Padraig Harrington so-called “HD” ruling when only super slow motion replays in HD showed that his ball had barely moved on a green while he was addressing it. Rule 33 – 7 clearly should not have applied to what happened to Woods.
With the competitive golf season now on the horizon, learning how to use a Rules book could come in very handy if you plan on playing any tournament golf. The Rules book itself is actually organized very logically and is not as complicated to use as one might imagine. A good starting point is the Contents pages which can be found on pages 2 through 4 in the pocket version of the Rules of Golf.
Rules 1, 2 and 3 deal with the game itself. Rule 1 defines the game and Rules 2 and 3 describe the formats of play, that being Match Play and Stroke Play. Rules 4 and 5 deal with equipment. Rule 4 defines the rules for golf clubs and Rule 5 defines the rules for golf balls.
Rules 6 through 9 cover the players responsibilities such as practice, advice, indicating line of play and information as to strokes taken. Rule 10 tells us about the order of play. Now that the preliminaries are out of the way, we are ready to get on the golf course and start play. Rule 11 starts with the teeing ground. Rules 12 through 15 educate us on playing the ball and deal with searching for and identifying the ball, ball played as it lies, striking the ball and substituted and wrong balls. We have now reached the putting green, so Rules 16 and 17 cover the putting green and what you can and cannot do once you reach the putting green and flagstick.
Rules 18 and 19 instruct us on what to do if a ball is moved, deflected or stopped when the ball is at rest or in motion. Rules 20 through 28 describe relief situations and procedures like lifting, dropping and placing your ball, playing from a wrong place, obstructions, water hazards, embedded balls, balls lost or out of bounds and a ball that is unplayable.
Rules 29 through 32 cover other forms of play like threesomes, foursomes, three balls, best balls and Stableford competitions. Finally, Rules 33 and 34 deal with Tournament Administration and define tournament committees and how to handle disputes and decisions.
If you don’t read all of the Rules book, I would encourage you to read at least page 9 “How to Use the Rules Book”. It will save you a great deal of time and will prevent misinterpretations and misunderstandings. The final paragraph on that page reads “Understanding the Words”. You should be aware of and understand the following differences in word use:
MAY = optional
SHOULD = recommendation
MUST = instruction (and penalty if not carried out)
A BALL = you may substitute another ball (e.g. Rules 26, 27 and 28)
THE BALL = you must not substitute another ball (e.g. Rules 24 – 2 and 25 – 1)
The following page, #10 is equally as important. It continues the explanation of “How to Use the Rule Book” , including “Know the Definitions” and “The Facts of the Case”. Again, information on this page will be helpful when applying the Rules of Golf. Very few players take the time to read the entire Rules of Golf book from start to finish. It is not fascinating or exciting reading, but at least knowing how to USE a Rules book could help you to apply the Rules correctly. Here’s hoping you have a great golf season and let’s all pitch in and help #growgolf and #growgolfrules
In Rule 24-2b, Immovable Obstruction Relief, we see that relief through the green is granted from the interference. The player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. What is “nearest point of relief” and how is it determined? May the player use any club, address position, direction of play or swing in determining the nearest point of relief?
In determining the nearest point of relief in an accurate manner it is recommended that the player use the club, address position, direction of play and swing (right or left-handed) that he or she would have used had the obstruction or condition not been there. For example, the player has interference from an immovable obstruction and, were it not for the obstruction, the player would have used a right-handed swing with a 5-iron to play the ball from its original position towards the green. To determine the nearest point of relief accurately, he should use a right-handed swing with a 5-iron and the direction of play should be towards the green.
The nearest point of relief is defined as the reference point for taking relief without penalty from interference by an immovable obstruction (Rule 24-2), an abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1) or a wrong putting green (Rule 25-3). It is the point on the course nearest where the ball lies: (i) that is not nearer the hole, and (ii) where, if the ball was so positioned, no interference by the condition from which relief is sought would exist for the stroke the player would have made from the original position if the condition were not there.
If you have any questions on the Rules of Golf please submit them to Mike Fay Golf and your question will be answered here or on #askthepro.
What happens when you hit a shot toward a water hazard and you do not see your ball actually enter the hazard, but when you arrive at the hazard you cannot find your ball? Do you just assume that it entered the hazard and proceed under Rule 26 -1 Relief for Ball in Water Hazard? Rule 26 -1 states: “It is a question of fact whether a ball that has not been found after having been struck toward a water hazard is in the hazard. In the absence of knowledge or virtual certainty that a ball struck toward a water hazard, but not found, is in the hazard, the player must proceed under Rule 27 -1.” Rule 27 -1 deals with a ball lost or out of bounds where a player proceeds under the stroke and distance penalty.
When a ball has been struck towards a water hazard and cannot be found, a player may not just assume that his ball is in the water hazard simply because there is a chance that the ball may be in the water hazard. To proceed under Rule 26 – 1, it must be ‘known or virtually certain” that the ball is in the water hazard. In the absence of “knowledge or virtual certainty” that it lies in a water hazard, a ball that cannot be found must be considered lost or somewhere other than in a water hazard and the player must proceed under Rule 27 – 1.
When a player’s ball cannot be found, ‘knowledge” may be ascertained that his ball is in the water hazard in numerous ways. The player or his caddie or other members of the match or group may actually have observed the ball entering the water hazard. Evidence supplied by other reliable witnesses may also establish that the ball is in the water hazard. This evidence could come from a referee, an observer, spectators or other outside agencies. It is very important that all readily available information be considered because, for example, the mere fact that a ball has splashed in a water hazard would not always provide “knowledge” that the ball is in the water hazard, due to the fact that there are instances when the ball may have skipped across the water and come to rest outside the hazard.
Without the “knowledge” that the ball is in the water hazard, Rule 26 -1 requires there to be “virtual certainty” that the players ball is in the water hazard in order to proceed under this Rule. “Virtual certainty” implies some minute degree of doubt about the actual location of a ball that has not been found. However, “virtual certainty” also means that, although the ball has not been found, when all readily available information has been considered, the conclusion that there is nowhere that the ball could be except in the water hazard would be justified. To determine whether “virtual certainty” exists, factors in the area of the water hazard to be considered include topography, turf conditions, turf heights, visibility, weather conditions and the proximity of trees, bushes and abnormal ground conditions.
The Rules of Golf state that the position of a ball must be marked before it is lifted under a Rule that requires it to be replaced (Rule 20 – 1 Lifting and Marking). The Note to Rule 20 – 1 states that “the position of a ball to be lifted should be marked by placing a ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object immediately behind the ball.” A question that I get on occasion is what happens if a player uses an object or something that is not similar to a ball-marker or small coin to mark his ball? Is the player then penalized?
The answer lies in the Decisions of Golf under Decision 20 – 1/16. The player is not penalized if he uses an object not similar to a ball-marker or small coin. The provision in the Note to Rule 20 – 1 is a recommendation of best practice, but there is no penalty for failing to act in accordance with the Note. The Decision goes on to state, “examples of methods of marking the position of a ball that are not recommended, but are permissible, are as follows:
· Placing the toe of a club at the side of, or behind, the ball;
· Using a tee;
· Using a loose impediment;
· Scratching a line, provided the putting green is not tested (Rule 16 – 1d) and a line for putting is not indicated (Rule 8 – 2b). As this practice may cause damage to the putting green, it is discouraged.
However, under Rule 20 – 1 it is necessary to physically mark the position of the ball. Reference to an existing mark on the ground does not constitute marking the position of a ball. For example, it is not permissible to mark the position with reference to a blemish on the putting green.
When moving a ball or ball-marker to the side to prevent it from interfering with another player’s stance or stroke, the player may measure from the side of the ball or ball marker. In order to accurately replace the ball on the spot from which it was lifted, the steps used to move the ball or ball-marker to the side should be reversed.”
If you have a question regarding the Rules of Golf please submit it to Mike Fay Golf or and we will answer it in this forum or via the #askthepro Twitter Show. Here’s hoping that you are “playing by the rules.”
