While working as a Rules Official at a junior golf tournament this summer a young player approached me about a situation he had experienced during his round. After the player had played a stroke from just off the putting green, his ball came to rest overhanging the lip of the hole but not resting against the unattended flagstick. He reached the hole without unreasonable delay, waited an additional ten seconds, as the Rules allow, and then removed the flagstick. Shortly after removing the flagstick, the ball fell into the hole. The player replaced the ball and then putted it into the hole. A fellow competitor in his group told him he had holed out once the ball fell into the hole. The player asked me if he had proceeded correctly and if not, what was his score for the hole.
It is a question of fact whether the player’s action caused the ball to move and any doubt should be resolved against the player. The flagstick is a movable obstruction. If the movement of the ball was directly attributed to the removal of flagstick, the ball must be replaced on the lip of the hole without penalty (Rule 24-1a). If the player caused the ball to move but the movement of the ball was not directly attributable to the removal of flagstick, the ball must be replaced on the lip of the hole, and the player incurs a penalty stroke under Rule 18-2a.
If the player’s actions did not cause the ball to move and the ball fell into the hole, the provisions of Rule 16-2 (Ball Overhanging Hole) apply, whether the removal of the flagstick occurs before or after the lapse of time contemplated by Rule 16-2. In this case, the players actions did not cause the ball to move and fall into the hole. Rule 16-2 states that when any part of the ball overhangs the lip of the hole, the player is allowed enough time to reach the hole without unreasonable delay and an additional ten seconds to determine whether the ball is at rest. If by then the ball has not fallen into the hole, it is deemed to be at rest. If the ball subsequently falls into the hole, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke and must add a penalty stroke to his score for the hole; otherwise there is no penalty under the rule. In our case, the player was deemed to holed out on his last stroke and a penalty stroke was added to his score.
Frank Guastella, PGA Rules Official Michigan Section PGA
Staff Writer, Mike Fay Golf
If you have a question for Frank here’s where you can contact him.
Golf is the only game where players actually call penalties on themselves. Can you imagine an NFL offensive lineman calling a penalty on himself for holding an opposing defensive player during a play? Can you imagine an NBA player calling a foul on themselves for knocking down an opposing player who was driving to the basket?
Golfers are known for their integrity, especially at the professional level. When a professional golfer calls a penalty on themselves it is going to either cost them money, or cost them the chance to make money. In the case of Blayne Barber, a young professional at the first stage of Q – School, it cost him his chance to play on golf’s grandest stage, the PGA Tour. Barber knew his club lightly touched a leaf in a bunker on his backswing at the 13th hole at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia, the site of the first stage of Qualifying School, the PGA Tour’s Qualifying Tournament. His brother and caddy, Shayne, did not think the club touched the leaf at all, but Blayne insisted that his club minutely touched the leaf on his backswing. According to Rule 13 – 4, a player in a hazard cannot touch or move a loose impediment before making a stroke at the ball.
Barber called a one – stroke penalty on himself and informed his fellow competitors of the rules infraction. His fellow competitors agreed, and Barber moved on with the rest of the round and tournament. That evening, while talking with his roommate, Mike Hebert, did Barber realize something might be wrong. A breach of Rule 13 – 4 might have been a two – stroke penalty, not a one – stroke penalty. If that was the case, Barber had signed an incorrect scorecard for the one under par 71 that he had shot. Signing an incorrect scorecard would have led to disqualification.
Barber had finished the tournament and qualified for the second stage of Q – School, but something kept gnawing at him. He knew he had touched the leaf in the hazard, so on November 2, which was a week after the tournament, he contacted the PGA Tour and had a conference call with a couple rules officials and one of the operating officers of the tour. He was informed that that a breach of Rule 13 – 4 results in a two stroke penalty, meaning he had shot 72, not the 71 he had signed for. According to Rule 6 – 6d, “The competitor is responsible for the correctness of the score recorded for each hole on his score card. If he returns a score for any hole lower than actually taken, he is disqualified.” Barber then disqualified himself. With plenty riding on the decision, Barber stuck to his principles.
What makes this decision even more difficult was that nobody else had noticed anything. Not his fellow competitors nor his brother/caddy. Barbers brother was adamant that Blayne had not touched the leaf at all. The road to the PGA Tour will be tougher for Barber, but he said “It’s the rules and I can’t change the rules. It’s a mistake I made and I want to adhere to them. That’s why I did it. I did it because I knew it was the right thing to do.” Now that is integrity.
Frank Guastella, PGA Rules Official Michigan Section PGA
Staff Writer, Mike Fay Golf
If you have a question for Frank here’s where you can contact him.
Distance – Measuring devices have become a large segment of the golf industry. There are several manufacturers producing devices to assist players in gauging distances from various points on the golf course. Players like the quickness and accuracy of such devices in helping them to determine club selection. Some devices also give more than just distances to assist the player.
Committees may permit the use of distance – measuring devices in tournament play. A Committee may establish a Local Rule allowing players to use devices that measure or gauge distance only. However, the use of a distance – measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect a player’s play (e.g., gradient, wind speed, temperature, etc) is not permitted regardless of whether such an additional function is used.
Rule 14 – 3 Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and the Unusual Use of Equipment is very specific in what is considered use of any equipment in an unusual manner. It states: “Except as provided in the Rules, during a stipulated round the player must not use any artificial device or unusual equipment in an unusual manner:
a.) That might assist him in making a stroke or in his play; or
b.) For the purpose of gauging or measuring distance or condition that might affect his play; or
c.) That might assist him in gripping the club, except that: (i) gloves may be worn provided they are plain gloves (ii) resin, powder and drying or moisturizing agents may be used and (iii) a towel or handkerchief may be wrapped around the grip.”
In the absence of a Local Rule, the use of distance – measuring device would be contrary to Rule 14 – 3.
You see it happen a couple of times each year. A golfer commits a rules violation and doesn’t notice it and neither do his fellow competitors. A viewer watching the tournament on television notices it, makes a few phone calls, and brings the rules violation to the forefront. The player is ten penalized as a result.
Do you feel this is fair? Should a television viewer be able to affect the outcome of a golf tournament? In my opinion, it is ridiculous. Do you see this happening in football if a referee misses a call? That is why rules officials are present at golf tournaments. They should be the ones making the calls. Like most other sports, rules violations should be enforced during play by players and officials. Have you ever seen a baseball score change after the completion of a game?
If people can call in then no player should win a tournament until all pieces of film are reviewed and verified for rules violations. If an infraction is missed by a player, his opponent/fellow-competitor, and the rules officials, then that should be the end of it.. A television viewer should not be able to call in an infraction. Golf, like any other sport, is a game that also includes human error.
These are my thoughts. What are your thoughts? If you have an opinion please respond to Mike Fay Golf.
