John Senden - Snapped shaft airshot

[need_my_wedge]

Didn't know whether to put this in the rules section or here in general discussion - mods feel free to move if it should be. Just read this and watched the vids https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/news/tour-news/watch-john-sendens-driver-snaps-mid-swing-170042.

Essentially, his shaft snapped mid swing, which caused him to miss the ball leaving it teed up. The rules official ruled the swing counts, and he was then forced to drop the ball on the tee area and play a three wood from the tee counting an extra shot on the par 5 hole, turning in a bogey at the end of it.

I get that he made a swing at the ball and a normal air shot would be counted, but surely a snapped shaft is an unusual situation and comes under some other ruling, it's not your normal airshot situation.

 

[Shooter McPowick]

Bit of a brutal ruling if you ask me but such a rare occurrence its hard to rule.

 

[Maninblack4612]

He argued that he tried to abort the shot when he felt it snap, i.e. it was not an attempt to make a stroke. Under the circumstances I think the rules officials should have accepted that.

 

[Canfordhacker]

The rules official ruled the swing counts, and he was then forced to drop the ball on the tee area and play a three wood from the tee counting an extra shot on the par 5 hole, turning in a bogey at the end of it.

.

Why would he have to drop it? Made a shot, missed - then playing 2 as it lies? Unless, because he has no driver and it's teed up high? And it wasn't yet in play? In which case surely he could place it rather than drop it? Confused!

 

[Orikoru]

Bit of a brutal ruling if you ask me but such a rare occurrence its hard to rule.

Is it? Or is this yet another instance of golf rulings where common sense was left at the door?

 

[Imurg]

Why would he have to drop it? Made a shot, missed - then playing 2 as it lies? Unless, because he has no driver and it's teed up high? And it wasn't yet in play? In which case surely he could place it rather than drop it? Confused!

Maybe because it was teed up high and he didn't want to put a sky on his 3 wood...

 

[jim8flog]

It is in the decisions

14/5
Club Breaks During Downswing; Swing Completed But Misses Ball; Clubhead Falls and Moves Ball

Q. The shaft of a player's club broke during his downswing. The player continued his swing and missed the ball. However, the clubhead fell and moved the ball. What is the ruling?
A. The stroke counts but the player incurs no penalty. The ball must be played as it lies.

I do agree with point about the ball not moving and would question why he had to drop the ball at another spot

 

[Orikoru]

It is in the decisions

14/5
Club Breaks During Downswing; Swing Completed But Misses Ball; Clubhead Falls and Moves Ball

Q. The shaft of a player's club broke during his downswing. The player continued his swing and missed the ball. However, the clubhead fell and moved the ball. What is the ruling?
A. The stroke counts but the player incurs no penalty. The ball must be played as it lies.

I do agree with point about the ball not moving and would question why he had to drop the ball at another spot

That's not the right rule is it, that says that the ball moved, in this case it didn't.

 

[IanM]

The Twitter feed I read said that he had to play it off the "high tee" and not drop it

 

[pendodave]

The Twitter feed I read said that he had to play it off the "high tee" and not drop it

yep, once the first swing was adjudged he had to play it 'as it lies'. who knew!!

 

[need_my_wedge]

The Twitter feed I read said that he had to play it off the "high tee" and not drop it

In his interview (in the link above), he said that he was allowed to drop it after some discussion. Geoff Ogilvy, his playing partner was none to pleased by them counting the shot see his vid clip

 

[Coffey]

Yeah he didn't get to drop it. He had to play it off the big tee. His playing partner had quite a good reaction.

Surely he could argue this is the same as when Tiger pulled out of his swing when the bird went past?

 

[richart]

Surely he was aborting the shot ? Missed the ball by some distance. If he had hit the ball it could have been really dangerous, as I imagine there would have been spectators lining the tee, and ball could have gone straight right of the toe end.

 

[Orikoru]

Surely he was aborting the shot ? Missed the ball by some distance. If he had hit the ball it could have been really dangerous, as I imagine there would have been spectators lining the tee, and ball could have gone straight right of the toe end.

In real time it looked as though he pulled out of it before completing the downswing.

Even if he didn't the ruling is bloody stupid anyway.

 

[jim8flog]

That's not the right rule is it, that says that the ball moved, in this case it didn't.

That is not actually the right one but there are 3 decisions in all and the copy and paste of the other two did not work for some reason

I meant to show this one
14/3
Clubhead Separates from Shaft on Downswing

Q.A player starts his downswing and the clubhead separates from the shaft. The player continues his swing but no contact is made with the ball. Did the player make a stroke?
A.Yes.

but from what others are now saying should this one have applied

14/2
Club Breaks During Backswing; Swing Completed

Q.The head of a player's club separated from the shaft during his backswing. The player completed the swing but missed the ball. Is the player deemed to have made a stroke?
A.No. A stroke is "the forward movement of the club ... ." A shaft by itself is not a club - see Rule 4-1a.

 

[Imurg]

The shaft snapped inside the grip so the club remained in one piece....

 

[Orikoru]

That is not actually the right one but there are 3 decisions in all and the copy and paste of the other two did not work for some reason

I meant to show this one
14/3
Clubhead Separates from Shaft on Downswing

Q.A player starts his downswing and the clubhead separates from the shaft. The player continues his swing but no contact is made with the ball. Did the player make a stroke?
A.Yes.

but from what others are now saying should this one have applied

14/2
Club Breaks During Backswing; Swing Completed

Q.The head of a player's club separated from the shaft during his backswing. The player completed the swing but missed the ball. Is the player deemed to have made a stroke?
A.No. A stroke is "the forward movement of the club ... ." A shaft by itself is not a club - see Rule 4-1a.

Fair enough. I'm still not sure that last one applies either as it didn't look like the clubhead came off completely, just that the shaft kind of split. (Unless I missed it.)

Anyway, my point was whatever the rules say, it's grossly unfair to punish a man when his club randomly breaks on the swing and he doesn't even hit the ball. How is that his fault? Absolute nonsense.

 

[Spuddy]

He was allowed to drop it because the ball was deemed in play but was now sitting on an obstruction (the tee)

 

[Rlburnside]

Could he not have deemed the ball unplayable and replayed the shot from the original position?

 

[Maninblack4612]

Could he not have deemed the ball unplayable and replayed the shot from the original position?

Yes, but it would have cost him an extra shot.