November Miscellany
Ball Deflects off Flagstick into Water Hazard
Patrick Reed wasn’t having the best of tournaments at the 2016 WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai last week. He was already 7 over playing the 8th hole of his second round when his ball struck the flagstick and rebounded back into the water hazard in front of the green. Click on this link to view a video of the incident. As the commentator said about Patrick Reed, “Not his day; not his week”
Reed’s ball rolled down the steep bank of the hazard and came to rest in an unplayable position, so what were his options under the Rules? He only had two options left: return to where he last played from to drop a ball under penalty of stroke and distance; or drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped.
It is this second option that seems to cause many golfers a problem. There are three points to remember;
• The line of flight of the ball from where the stroke was made is not relevant.
• The reference point for the drop is where the ball last crossed the hazard, which in this incident was the putting green side of the water hazard.
• The ball may be dropped anywhere on the course on an extension of the line from the flagstick through where the ball last crossed the margin. This will always be on the far side of the hazard from the hole and the ball may be dropped in a bunker or another water hazard.
Dropping Zone for Short Hitters
I have been asked what the situation is if a player who thinks that they cannot reach the fairway on the far side of a water hazard from the teeing ground takes their ball straight to a dropping zone. The player would be disqualified under Rule 11-4b, for playing a ball from outside the teeing ground and not subsequently correcting their mistake before teeing off at the next teeing ground.
Decision 33-8/2 confirms that a Committee may not introduce a Local Rule in this respect;
Q. The design of a hole is such that a player must hit the ball about 100 yards in order to carry a water hazard. A Local Rule has been adopted to assist players who cannot drive over the hazard by allowing them to drop a ball, under penalty of two strokes, in a dropping zone that is located across the hazard. Is such a Local Rule authorized?
A. No. Such a Local Rule substantially alters Rule 26-1b as it allows the player to drop a ball on a part of the course (i.e., on the green side of the water hazard) that the Rule would not have permitted him to reach. Furthermore, the penalty for taking relief under the water hazard Rule (Rule 26) is one stroke, and may not be increased to two strokes by a Committee through a Local Rule - see Rule 33-8b.
Borrowing a Club During a Round
I have heard several myths about what a player may borrow from a fellow competitor during their round.
A player may borrow;
The penalty for a breach of Rule 4-4a in stroke play is two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred, with a maximum penalty of four strokes (two strokes at each of the first two holes at which any breach occurred). The penalty in match play, at the conclusion of the hole at which the breach is discovered, is that the state of the match is adjusted by deducting one hole for each hole at which a breach occurred, with a maximum deduction of two holes.
Good golfing,
Please remember that you can choose to receive my two-weekly blogs by email by subscribing at the top right corner of any of my blog pages. You can also start receiving my weekly ‘Rhodes Rules School’ series emails at this link. When you subscribe you will also receive a complimentary quiz on the Rules containing 27 questions, with answers and references. There is no charge for either of these services and you may unsubscribe at any time.
The above content is strictly copyright to Barry Rhodes © 2016 and may not be copied without permission.
Patrick Reed wasn’t having the best of tournaments at the 2016 WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai last week. He was already 7 over playing the 8th hole of his second round when his ball struck the flagstick and rebounded back into the water hazard in front of the green. Click on this link to view a video of the incident. As the commentator said about Patrick Reed, “Not his day; not his week”
Reed’s ball rolled down the steep bank of the hazard and came to rest in an unplayable position, so what were his options under the Rules? He only had two options left: return to where he last played from to drop a ball under penalty of stroke and distance; or drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped.
It is this second option that seems to cause many golfers a problem. There are three points to remember;
• The line of flight of the ball from where the stroke was made is not relevant.
• The reference point for the drop is where the ball last crossed the hazard, which in this incident was the putting green side of the water hazard.
• The ball may be dropped anywhere on the course on an extension of the line from the flagstick through where the ball last crossed the margin. This will always be on the far side of the hazard from the hole and the ball may be dropped in a bunker or another water hazard.
Dropping Zone for Short Hitters
I have been asked what the situation is if a player who thinks that they cannot reach the fairway on the far side of a water hazard from the teeing ground takes their ball straight to a dropping zone. The player would be disqualified under Rule 11-4b, for playing a ball from outside the teeing ground and not subsequently correcting their mistake before teeing off at the next teeing ground.
Decision 33-8/2 confirms that a Committee may not introduce a Local Rule in this respect;
Q. The design of a hole is such that a player must hit the ball about 100 yards in order to carry a water hazard. A Local Rule has been adopted to assist players who cannot drive over the hazard by allowing them to drop a ball, under penalty of two strokes, in a dropping zone that is located across the hazard. Is such a Local Rule authorized?
A. No. Such a Local Rule substantially alters Rule 26-1b as it allows the player to drop a ball on a part of the course (i.e., on the green side of the water hazard) that the Rule would not have permitted him to reach. Furthermore, the penalty for taking relief under the water hazard Rule (Rule 26) is one stroke, and may not be increased to two strokes by a Committee through a Local Rule - see Rule 33-8b.
Borrowing a Club During a Round
I have heard several myths about what a player may borrow from a fellow competitor during their round.
A player may borrow;
- Balls (but if a One Ball Condition is in effect, the player would need to borrow the same brand and type of ball that they had been using).
- Equipment (e.g. tee, towel, ball marker, pitch repairer, trolley and umbrella).
- Clothing (e.g. rain gear, sweater and glove).
- Any club selected for play by any other person playing on the course, Rule 4-4a.
The penalty for a breach of Rule 4-4a in stroke play is two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred, with a maximum penalty of four strokes (two strokes at each of the first two holes at which any breach occurred). The penalty in match play, at the conclusion of the hole at which the breach is discovered, is that the state of the match is adjusted by deducting one hole for each hole at which a breach occurred, with a maximum deduction of two holes.
Good golfing,
Please remember that you can choose to receive my two-weekly blogs by email by subscribing at the top right corner of any of my blog pages. You can also start receiving my weekly ‘Rhodes Rules School’ series emails at this link. When you subscribe you will also receive a complimentary quiz on the Rules containing 27 questions, with answers and references. There is no charge for either of these services and you may unsubscribe at any time.
The above content is strictly copyright to Barry Rhodes © 2016 and may not be copied without permission.