(atc)
The Rules
The TV Conundrum
Like it or not, technology plays a big role
in Rules decisions by CLYDE LUTHER
MANY TIMES, I hear from golfers
who ask, ‘Did you watch the golf on TV
yesterday, and did you see where Joe
Doakes was disqualified when he violated a
Rule of the game?’ What happened?
It appears that a spectator observed
the situation and reported it to the Rules
Committee after the round was over and
the player had signed his card. But where
did this information actually come from?
A spectator on the course? Or maybe a TV
viewer who saw it and called it in.
Through the Rules workshops I have
taught over the years, I have met many
people who don’t think it is proper for a
spectator to report a violation of the Rules.
A leader in the clubhouse with a big gallery
is far more likely to have a violation of the
Rules observed than a player that has no
one following him or her.
In the 1923 version of Decisions on the
Rules of Golf, under the Committee section, it states “the Rules of Golf Committee
should accept information on the violation
of the Rules from any source.”
So what is the difference between today
and 1923? Yes, you guessed it: TV!
One of the most important things to
realize is just because someone calls in a
penalty or reports one from the course, it
doesn’t mean that a player is disqualified.
Several years ago after a Sunday round
More Green. Less Fee.
A golfer’s dream. Unlimited play on our green and lush 6,400 yard
Shenandoah Valley course nestled amid Virginia’s equally beautiful
Blue Ridge Mountains. Package includes meals and lodging, greens
fees and cart for 18 holes daily and extra round for cart fees only!
For more details check out www.LurayCaverns.com or
call (888) 443-6551.
3 Day / 2 Night
Packages from
$245
Per person, double
occupancy, plus tax
was over, I got a call from PGA Tour player
Brian Gay, who wanted information on Rule
16-2 (Ball Overhanging Hole).
Brian putted and his ball came to rest
overhanging the hole. After about 14 seconds, the ball fell into the hole. In Rule 16-2,
the player is allowed enough time to reach
the hole, plus an additional 10 seconds to
determine if the ball is at rest. As Brian’s
ball was considered at rest after 10 seconds,
he violated this rule. Brian believed he had
made the original putt and scored a two,
but instead, he was deemed to have holed
out with his last stroke and needed to add
a penalty stroke to his score for that hole.
In the end, a spectator called in before he
reached the scoring area and saved him
from being disqualified.
During the 1996 Masters, I was a Rules
Official on the 18th hole and a spectator came up to me and said that a player
had moved a loose impediment and his
ball had moved. The player did not put
the ball back, which the Rules require. I
informed the scorer to inquire as to what
had happened. The player completed his
round and discussed the situation with the
scorer, acknowledging he had not put the
ball back after it moved. Instead of being
disqualified, he was assessed a two-stroke
penalty before signing his scorecard.
In summary, I am truly a believer that
information on Rules violations should be
accepted from any source. More times than
not, a player is saved from a disqualification
and incurs only penalty strokes because
the information was received before the
scorecard was signed.
Answers to the July-August Rules quiz:
1. B; 2. C; 3. B; 4. A.; 5. C; 6. A; 7. C;
8. A; 9. C; 10. C; 11. D; 12. C; 13. C;
14. C; 15. A; 16. A; 17. A.
12
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | S E P T E M B E R /O C T O B E R 2 0 16
vsga.org
BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM
Clyde Luther is a nationally renowned
expert on The Rules of Golf. A past VSGA
President, Luther was inducted in May as
part of the Inaugural Class of the Virginia
Golf Hall of Fame.