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101st Oregon Amateur - Interesting Rulings - Match Play
Once the Championship moves into match play, administering the Rules of Golf takes a on a very different form. Until we reach the finals none of the matches are refereed. Though we post Rules Officials, under the Rules of Golf, we are prohibited from intervening in a match for any reason other than slow play or when it is believe that players have agreed to waive the Rules of Golf.
However, there are still plenty of Rulings that take place throughout the day though the decision of how to proceed correctly is left up to the players in the match. This highlights the main differencebetween Match Play and Stroke Play. When we begin the week with the stroke play rounds, Officials must ensure that all players follow the Rules as they are written for every player in the competition has a directly interest in the result of every other player. In match play, only the player and the opponent hold a stake in the outcome of the match and the Rules place the onus on the player to protect their own interests.
Throughout the first two days of matches many situations were resolved between the players involved when, in stroke play, the players would not hesitate to call an official for help.
Below is a picture taken in which a player’s ball came to rest against a volunteers binocular case on the 2nd hole.
The binocular case is a movable obstruction and Rule 24-1 provides that a player may remove movable obstructions anywhere on the course. If the ball moves in the process, it must be replaced. In any case, there is no penalty to the player. Here the player’s ball did not move and the player continued play of the hole without incident.
One of the more unusual situations came about on the putting green of the 18th hole. Bobby Monaco and Sam Kloenne came to the green with both balls near the hole. In match play, the player further from the hole is first to play. The players are seen here using the flagstick to measure from the hole to their respective balls.
This process went on for some time before they finally called over an official, who happened to be the former Executive Director of the OGA, Jim Gibbons, to help decide who was next to play.
Rule 10-1b states, in part:
“If the balls are equidistant from the hole … the ballto be played first should be decided by lot.”
This was carried out by tossing a tee which pointed to Bobby.
He played first and unfortunately missed his putt for par. Sam was next to play and holed his putt for par, won the hole and the match 1up.
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.
