Rules Scenarios

I had a couple of interesting rules scenarios that came up this week, and as a PGA Professional, Golf retailer, Golf instructor, club fitter, or just someone who works in golf, we all are passionate about the game. I remember working as an Assistant Pro back in the 90’s. I had to assist with rulings from time to time. I would generally be exposed to a rule and my first expression was almost always “uhhhh…”. As a tournament player later on, same thing. This past summer, I started a journey back into the PGA, and had to do some studying on the rules to prep for a quiz. Ironically, there seems to always be a “trick” with literally every rule. There is some sub-section somewhere else that throws a big, fat curve ball. The “Decisions on the Rules of Golf” is an encyclopedia for cryin out loud. I gotta remember all this?? Are you kidding? In recent years, the rules got easier – more concise, simpler to understand, but still complex and complicated to the average Joe. So I studied. 

The Rules of Golf fascinate me because they are fixed, but open to interpretation (hence the Decisions). Despite this, there is still only ONE right answer. Whenever I hear a ruling on TV, my ears perk up. Mostly, I nod “OK” and move on, but sometimes i reach for the rule book and say “uhhhh…”. This happened twice this week.

Scenario #1. Gavin Hall was playing in a stage at Q-school. He hit a tee shot on the 6th hole (his 15th) into the water. All three players assumed to see a splash. The water goes all the way down the left side of the hole. Gavin is a Lefty, so we do not know where the ball crossed the hazard (if he tried to start it over the pond and hook it back in, or if it was a block that crossed somewhere up in the fairway).  Gavin played another ball off the tee and called it a Provisional. When they got to where his original ball was thought to be, they found it in the hazard and playable.  He picked up his Provisional, hacked out of the hazard, made a par, then birdied the last three holes and signed for a 66.  An hour later he got the call.  “DQ”.  “For what?”. Signing an incorrect scorecard.  Together, they walked with him through the events that transpired on the 6th hole.  Original Tee shot in the hazard – confirmed by others in the group.  This deems a ball in the hazard.  One of the options for the next stroke for a ball in a Red or Yellow Hazard is to replay the shot from the same point (stroke and distance).  This makes a “Provisional” not an option for a ball hit into that type of hazard.  When Gavin hit the Provisional, that was his 3rd shot regardless of what he called it.  When he picked it up and played the original ball, he was effectively playing a wrong ball – even though it was his.  

So why not call it a provisional and allow it.  That would give a player choices upon getting to the original ball.  Suppose the player hit the “provisional” ball out of bounds to the right in this case.  He could then say I’ll take 2 club lengths from where the original one crossed (effectively abandoning the Provisional)?  Um, not so fast.  This would be completely unfair to the rest of the field.  A Provisional can only be used for a lost ball or a ball hit out of bounds because the ONLY option for the next stroke is to replay from the previous spot.  This is not an option in any other type of penalty.

Scenario #2.  Keegan Bradley hit a tee shot in a waste area that plugged.  He declared it Unplayable, retrieved the ball, and took a drop (in the fairway), knocked it on the green and two putted for bogey.  I was watching and I said, wait, did he just drop it in the fairway? He did.  There’s a rules guy right there.  How is that possible?  What is he doing??  Must be taking a 2 stroke penalty (one for the unplayable, and one for dropping outside the hazard).   

First, at this golf course, all sandy areas are defined as waste areas and part of the general area, so not a hazard.  He was able to declare the ball unplayable (with a 1 stroke penalty) and take relief as a lateral, back-on-the-line relief, or stroke-and-distance.  He selected Lateral relief, so he got two club lengths.  As long as he’s in the general area, he may drop where he wishes.  In this case, 2 club lengths got him back to the fairway.  He does not need to drop in the waste area UNLESS he can not get OUT of the waste area with his 2 club lengths, AND his back-on-the-line relief is still in the waste area, AND he does not want to opt for stroke and distance.  If a player opts for back-on-the-line relief, he only gets one club length from the point he chooses.  Keegan was well within his right to do what he did.  It’s all about knowing the rules and using them to your advantage.  Play on Gentlemen.

Got a good rules scenario?  send it to me.  I’ll use it an a later episode this winter.  Crappy weather is coming – study your Decisions.

Hope this helps. Until next time – happy fitting – errr. Refereeing!!