Stroke or not?

[Whereditgo]

On the putting green a FC leans forward to tap in a putt that had lipped out to a few inches and misses the ball with his stroke. I called it a stroke but the FC claimed as he hadn't addresses the ball it wasn't, saying that the rules was different on the putting green claiming it had been altered since the Padraig Harrington incident?

I was pretty sure that was bunker, but as it was hammering down I wasn't going to stand there and search through my copy of the rules.

As it transpired his score was never going to threaten to win so he accepted the additional stroke, though certainly still doesn't accept that he was wrong!

 

[duncan mackie]

A “stroke’’ is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.

There is no requirement for the ball to have been addressed in order to make a stroke.

 

[Foxholer]

On the putting green a FC leans forward to tap in a putt that had lipped out to a few inches and misses the ball with his stroke. I called it a stroke but the FC claimed as he hadn't addresses the ball it wasn't, saying that the rules was different on the putting green claiming it had been altered since the Padraig Harrington incident?

I was pretty sure that was bunker, but as it was hammering down I wasn't going to stand there and search through my copy of the rules.

As it transpired his score was never going to threaten to win so he accepted the additional stroke, though certainly still doesn't accept that he was wrong!

Yes, the Rule/Decision has been changed since the PH incident. But not in such a way as to mean the FC's action wasn't a Stroke!

Duncan's first paragraph is the definition of stroke from the Definitions part of The Rules. No mention of having to address it.

The obvious corollary to the FC's argument would be to ask how he would be allowed to sink the putt without making a Stroke!

 

[clubchamp98]

The problem with guys like this is they can bluff weak players that don't stand up to them. Every golfer knows if you whiff one its a stroke. The Harrington one was because of the wind if I recall correctly he did ground his club but the wind moved it.

 

[Colin L]

Yes, the Rule/Decision has been changed since the PH incident. But not in such a way as to mean the FC's action wasn't a Stroke!

I'm at a bit of loss how the Harrington incident has any bearing on attempting to tap in a putt and missing and can't think of any related Rules changes.

 

[Foxholer]

I'm at a bit of loss how the Harrington incident has any bearing on attempting to tap in a putt and missing and can't think of any related Rules changes.

Doh! Even more of a hustle then!

I foolishly trusted that the Harrington incident was connected - as that was part of the FC's reasoning.

The rules/ruling that changed from the Harrington incident (at least the incident that springs to mind) was the 'Trial by TV' one.

The one that changed in/for 2012 about ball moving after being addressed was triggered by a Penalty on Webb Simpson that cost him a huge amount of cash and more!

 

[palindromicbob]

What Harrington incident was he referring to? I remember one about the wind moving a ball after he had addressed it on the putting green. That has changed.

Then there is the time he moved the ball a few mm while lifting his marker and didn't replace the ball. This was penalised after viewing slowmo HD footage which is where the rules have also changed.

Nowhere has the definition of a stroke changed though.

 

[guest100718]

I once leant over the hole to tap a ball in that had ran about 5 inches past and proceeded to hit it, but it didnt move! Oh the shame of it.. Although I have seen it done on the Euro tour to so i dont feel so bad..

 

[delc]

On the putting green a FC leans forward to tap in a putt that had lipped out to a few inches and misses the ball with his stroke. I called it a stroke but the FC claimed as he hadn't addresses the ball it wasn't, saying that the rules was different on the putting green claiming it had been altered since the Padraig Harrington incident?

I was pretty sure that was bunker, but as it was hammering down I wasn't going to stand there and search through my copy of the rules.

As it transpired his score was never going to threaten to win so he accepted the additional stroke, though certainly still doesn't accept that he was wrong!

The Padraig Harrington incident was when he inadvertently moved the ball very slightly, by brushing it with his knuckles when picking up his marker after replacing the ball. The movement was caught on a high definition TV close up, and probably wouldn't have been visible to the naked eye. Padraig thought the ball had oscillated back to its original position. Hale Irwin famously whiffed a two inch putt during the 1983 Open Championship and went on to come second by one shot behind Tom Watson.

There is no requirement to ground the club before playing a stroke. A "stroke" is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.

 

[Whereditgo]

Thanks for the comments guys.

I suspect the reference to the PH incident (ball moving after address) and subsequent rule change made by the FC was just a smoke screen to attempt to add credibility to his claim.

 

[atticusfinch]

The simplest way to flush out bogus rules is to ask to be shown the rule they claim.

 

[dufferman]

If you had to address the ball before making a stroke, the Happy Gilmore would have broke a rule or two...