Answers to the Jeld-Wen Rules Contest

The Jeld-Wen Tradition, the final major on the PGA Champions Tour is returning to Oregon August 17-23 at the Crosswater Club in Sunriver, Ore.   This year we created the following quiz and after scores of entries were received only one entry correctly answered the five questions below. 

Tracy Vass from Coupeville, WA and a guest of his choice have won a unique opportunity to walk inside the ropes with the legends of the game as a Special Honorary Observer on Friday, August 21.

See below for the questions, an explanation of the correct answers and a breakdown of how difficult each question was.

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1) On a par 3 a player plays her first stroke to the putting green and the ball comes to rest on a slope near the hole.  The player marks, lifts and cleans her ball.  She replaces the ball without lifting the mark and while surveying her upcoming putt the ball rolls down the slope and into the hole.  What is the Ruling?

     a) The player must replace the ball and add one penalty stroke.
     b) The ball is holed and the player’s score for the hole is two.
     c) The ball is holed and the player’s score for the hole is one.
     d) The player must replace the ball without penalty.

     Need Help: Online Rules and Decisions – Rule 13-1 and Rule 20-4 apply

Only 10% of entries correctly answered this question.  Rule 20-4 states, in part:

“If the player’s ball in play has been lifted, it is again in play when dropped or placed.”

Accordingly, when she replaced the ball, it was in play.  The mark has no relevance here except that by leaving her mark in place she would be permitted to adjust the ball (e.g. realign the logo to point down the direction of her putt).  When her ball began to move, it was in play and it came to rest in the hole. 

Rule 13-1 states:

"The ball must be played as it lies, except as otherwise provided in the Rules."

Nowhere in the Rules would she be directed otherwise.  Thus, the ball is holed and she has made just one stroke.  Though unusual, she has scored a hole in one!

(Note: a similar incident occurred during a match at the 2003 US Amateur at Oakmont.  If you have participated in a match play competition you have probably heard that is to your advantage to always expect your opponent to make their next stroke so you’ll never surprised when they do.  On the second hole, a Par 4, a player chipped his third stroke which came to rest on a steep slope above the hole.  The player marked, lifted and replaced the ball.  While surveying the putt, the ball rolled down the hill and into the hole.  Both the player and the opponent looked at the referee with no clue what to do.  The referee asked the player what he was putting for.  The player responded, “Par” and the referee said, “Congratulations you’ve just made a birdie!”)

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2) Player A and B are fellow-competitors in a stroke play competition.  Player A has just played from the teeing ground and Player B has yet to play.  Player B asks Player A what club he just hit.  Player A replies, “5 iron.”  What is the Ruling?

     a) Player A incurs a two stroke penalty.
     b) Player B incurs a two stroke penalty.
     c) Player A and Player B both incur two stroke penalties.
     d) Neither player incurs a penalty.

     Need Help: Online Rules and Decisions – Rule 8-1 applies

81% of entries correctly answered this question.  Rule 8-1 Advice is the most frequently breached Rule in golf, the Rule states:

During a stipulated round, a player must not:

a) give advice to anyone in the competition playing on the course other than his partner, or

b) ask for advice from anyone other than his partner or either of their caddies.

In addition, advice is defined, in part, as:

any council or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a stroke.

When Player B asked he was in breach of R.8-1b and when Player A responded he was in breach of R.8-1b.  Thus, both players are in breach of Rule 8-1 and have incurred two stroke penalties.

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3) After a player’s second stroke her ball comes to rest in a bunker.  The player approaches the ball and lays a bunker rake and a few clubs in the bunker before playing her stroke.  She plays the stroke to the green and one putts to complete the hole.  What is the player's score on the hole?

     a) 4
     b) 5
     c) 6
     d) 7

     Need Help: Online Rules and Decisions – Rule 13-4 applies

Only 33% of entries correctly answered this question.

The very first decision under Rule 13-4 (D.13-4/0.5) clarifies what is meant by “testing the condition of a hazard.”  Included in the decision is a list of actions that do not constitute testing the condition.

Examples of actions that would not constitute testing the condition of the hazard include the following:

• digging in with the feet for a stance, including for a practice swing, anywhere in the hazard or in a similar hazard;
• placing an object, such as clubs or a rake, in the hazard;
• leaning on an object (other than a club) such as a rake while it is touching ground in the hazard or water in a water hazard;
• touching the hazard with an object (other than a club) such as a towel (touching with a club would be breach of Rule 13-4b); or
• marking the position of the ball with a tee or otherwise when proceeding under a Rule.

Examples of actions that would constitute testing the condition of the hazard in breach of Rule 14-3a include the following:

• digging in with the feet in excess of what would be done for a stance for a stroke or a practice swing;
• filling in footprints from a previous stroke (e.g., when changing stance to make a different type of stroke);
• Intentionally sticking an object, such as a rake, into sand or soil in the hazard or water in a water hazard (but - see Rule 12-1);
• smoothing a bunker with a rake, a club or otherwise (but - see Exception 2 to Rule 13-4);
• kicking ground in the hazard or water in a water hazard; or
• touching the sand with a club when making a practice swing in the hazard or in a similar hazard (but - see Exception 3 to Rule 13-4).

Placing both a rake and clubs in a hazard are permitted, even when your ball lies in the same hazard.  Therefore, in this question, the player incurs no penalty and scores a four on the hole (she was lying two in the bunker, played one to the putting green and holed the putt for a four).

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4) The player "Mashie Divot" carries a handicap index of 19.8 and played from the blue tees which calculates a course handicap of 22.  Using the scorecard below, what score should the player post for handicapping purposes?

     a)    75
     b)    76
     c)    97
     d)    98

Need Help: OGA’s ESC Explanation Page

70% of entries correctly answered this question.

All players are required to follow equitable stroke control (ESC) when posting scores for handicapping purposes.  Mashie was allotted 22 strokes from the blue tees and is permitted to post a maximum of eight on any one hole.  In reviewing the scorecard Mashie scored a nine on the ninth hole and must subtract one from her gross total before posting her score.  The correct answer is C, 97, as Mashie would be required to subtract the stroke before posting her score.

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5)    Mike and Charlotte are playing a net match.  Mike has a course handicap of 12 and Charlotte has a course handicap of 22.  The 15th hole is the #10 handicap hole and is a 450-yard par 4 for men and a 420-yard par 5 for women.  Charlotte scores par with a 5 and Mike scores par with a 4.  What is the result of the hole?

     a)    Mike wins the hole.
     b)    Charlotte wins the hole.
     c)    The hole is halved.

Need Help: USGA Handicap System Manual Online Section 9 – Competitions & Online Rules and Decisions Rule 2 – Match Play

57% of entries correctly answered this question.

This question has two parts. 

First, it is important to note that par has no relevance to either the Rules of Golf or the Rules of Handicapping.  Par is an arbitrary number set by the Committee in charge of your course or the competition.

Second, in singles net match play, strokes are allotted by first finding the difference between course handicaps.  In this case the difference is 10.  Thus, Charlotte will receive strokes on the handicap holes 1 - 10.  On the fifteenth hole (the #10 handicap hole) Charlotte would receive a stroke and her gross 5 is reduced to a net 4.  Mike receives no strokes and his gross 4 is also net 4.  The correct answer is c, the hole is halved.

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Questions and comments can be addressed to rules@oga.org.

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