Oregon Amateur - Interesting Rulings Day 2

Wrong Putting Green

The very first call to come over the radio during the second and final round of stroke play qualifying was for a player asking for help on the 7th putting green even though players were not scheduled to arrive at the 7th hole for nearly 2 hours.  The 7th hole runs parallel to the 1st hole and during play from the first tee a player sliced his ball and it came to rest on the 7th green.

A “wrong putting green” includes any other putting greens, including any practice putting or pitching greens.  When a ball comes to rest on a wrong putting green Rule 25-3 requires that you take relief, without penalty.  This Rule is similar in many ways to taking relief from a cart path though there are some very distinct differences including:

  • Relief from immovable obstructions (e.g. cart paths) and abnormal ground conditions (e.g. ground under repair) takes into account three types of interference.  1) stance, 2) lie, 3) swing.  With respect to a wrong putting green interference includes only the lie of the ball.
  • When you have interference from a wrong putting (your ball lies on the green) you must take relief.  With immovable obstructions and abnormal ground conditions, relief is an option though you are permitted to play the ball as it lies.

To take relief you must find the nearest point that is no closer to the hole you are playing off the green.  This is your nearest point of relief under this Rule.  You must then drop the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole, at a spot off of the putting green.

Lost Ball

If you watched the final round of the US Open you may recall Dustin Johnson’s ball being found about 20 seconds after the five minute search period expired (click here for a great write up on the incident from an official present at the US Open).  A player that was comfortably under the cut line and most unfortunately had a nearly identical incident late in his round.

Less than 15 seconds after the five minutes for search was through his ball was found about 30 yards from the 17th green.  As soon as five minutes is passed, Rule 27-1c requires that the player goes back to where he last played and add one penalty stroke .  This led to a three shot swing and a score of double bogey rather the likely birdie had his ball been found just 15 seconds sooner.

From there it went from bad to worse as his tee shot came to rest less than 6 inches out of bounds.  Rule 27-1b requires that he again play under stroke and distance and the combination of a few seconds and a few inches on the final two holes was the difference between making the match play partition of the championship and having to wait until another year to try once again.

Scorecards must have two signatures

During the day, things can get pretty hectic.  Once all the players are off the course, we have a little more time to double check some administrative tasks.  Just before we began the men's play-off late Tuesday night we ran a double check of the scorecards returned in both rounds 1 and 2.  In golf, only the player knows exactly what happened on the course though, in stroke play, the Rules also require that a marker attests to the score that the player returns.  When the round is completed and before the card is returned the player is responsible for three things:

  • The correct score is returned for all holes (totaling the score is the responsibility of the Committee)
  • The marker signs the card
  • The player signs the card

Unfortunately, one player who played well enough to qualify for match play returend a card during round 1 without a signature from his marker.  In tournaments where stroke play qualifying leads to a match play bracket the stroke play competition is not officials closed until the player tees off in his first match.  Though he had already completed his second round, the Committee was required to inform the player of his mistake and the associated disqualificaiton penalty.  Had he played his first stroke in today's match, he would have been off the hook and the result wiould stand even though there was noone to attest the score.

To schedule a free Rules of Golf Presentation at your course of club please contact Craig Winter at the OGA for more information.  Craig Winter serves as the Manager of Rules Education for the OGA and was one of ten officials to score a perfect 100 on the 2010 PGA/USGA Rules of Golf Examination given to nearly 1500 Rules Officials each year.

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