That has got to sting..
https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/news...opeful-falls-foul-of-unusual-golf-rule-168333
https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/news...opeful-falls-foul-of-unusual-golf-rule-168333
How can that possibly be improving his line of play? I think he's been badly treated. You'll soon need a legal qualification to play tournament golf.
You are spot on - he should have known better, especially after Mickelson got done for gardening in front of the tee.The bunker was in the line of his play - what happened if he chunked his shot and it went into that freshly raked bunker , his lie is potentially better than if he hadn’t raked it . Harsh yes but it’s also a perfect example of slow play - pacing out the shot through a bunker ?!
But until the tour allow GPS devices what other option does he and the caddy have but to pace it out. More a case of the ruling bodies being too scared to embrace modern technology to improve the pace of the game on tour.The bunker was in the line of his play - what happened if he chunked his shot and it went into that freshly raked bunker , his lie is potentially better than if he hadn’t raked it . Harsh yes but it’s also a perfect example of slow play - pacing out the shot through a bunker ?!
No - you just need either the rule book, or a basic understanding of the rules (and a pair of reading glasses in my case).How can that possibly be improving his line of play? I think he's been badly treated. You'll soon need a legal qualification to play tournament golf.
No - you just need either the rule book, or a basic understanding of the rules (and a pair of reading glasses in my case).
This is an extremely basic, and fundamental rule, that wouldn't cause any problems for most posting on here (according to some past posts on raking hazards) so the only sympathy I have with the player is that there has been a lot of discussion (and rule changes) regarding raking bunkers and caring for the course over the last few years so he no doubt put 2 and 2 together whilst thinking about his up coming stroke, and just raked it.
13-2. Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play
A player must not improve or allow to be improved:
by any of the following actions:
- the position or lie of his ball,
- the area of his intended stance or swing,
- his line of play or a reasonable extension of that line beyond the hole, or
- the area in which he is to drop or place a ball,
Mentally he may well have in mind exception 2,
- pressing a club on the ground,
- moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds),
- creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,
- removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf placed in position, or
- removing dew, frost or water.
2. At any time, the player may smooth sand or soil in a hazardprovided this is for the sole purpose of caring for the course and nothing is done to breach Rule 13-2 with respect to his next stroke. If a ball played from a hazard is outside the hazard after the stroke, the player may smooth sand or soil in the hazard without restriction.
Which in itself contains the important exception that you can't go tidying up bunkers on your line of play.
Just to close off, whilst the rules would permit the width of the line of play to be interpreted with regard to the players competence there is no such consideration regarding the likelihood of him visiting the area with his next stroke. In this case had he carefully walked through it a few yards one side or the other of his line, and subsequently raked it, he should have been fine...whilst the same action, in the same place, for a 28 handicapper might not.
Golf has vastly more ridiculous rules than other sports. I don't see how this can be argued really.It’s not stuffy and it’s not the reason why people don’t play golf - why does that always seem the default answer when someone loses out because they broke a rule ( no matter how trivial it may seem )
It happens in all sports - every single sport has rules that some may see as trivial or nonsense, it’s not just limited to golf
How could it possibly help him win? It was raked before he walked through it, so he returned it to it's previous condition. Also, I'm fairly certain he was planning to avoid the bunker by chipping over it - had he duffed his chip into the bunker that would have more than likely cost him a shot, not helped him win because he 'improved the lie' before going in there for god's sake.The players especially the top pros should know the rules and if there is any issue have an official at hand
What would people think if raking the bunker helped the player win ? Is it trivial then ?
Golf has vastly more ridiculous rules than other sports. I don't see how this can be argued really.
How could it possibly help him win? It was raked before he walked through it, so he returned it to it's previous condition. Also, I'm fairly certain he was planning to avoid the bunker by chipping over it - had he duffed his chip into the bunker that would have more than likely cost him a shot, not helped him win because he 'improved the lie' before going in there for god's sake.
But if he didn't rake it he might have improved his lie by the same token - let's say he flattened a big ridge or two that had been formed in the sand. It's all ifs and buts, the point is he gained zero advantage because he never went in the sodding bunker. He obviously wasn't trying to gain an advantage either.Really ? Lots of sports have ridiculous rules
How can you judge which sport has the “most†over another sport
How do you know it was raked perfectly before he went in ? Maybe there was a stone or some animal foot print - the sand could have been a bit more compact so if he did dunk it into the bunker and he could have got a poor lie - freshly raked and nice and fluffy - a better lie.
All sort of scenarios but the simple thing is the bunker is in his line of the shot and he then adjusted a potential lie in a Hazard.
Golf has vastly more ridiculous rules than other sports. I don't see how this can be argued really.
How could it possibly help him win? It was raked before he walked through it, so he returned it to it's previous condition. Also, I'm fairly certain he was planning to avoid the bunker by chipping over it - had he duffed his chip into the bunker that would have more than likely cost him a shot, not helped him win because he 'improved the lie' before going in there for god's sake.
Golf has vastly more ridiculous rules than other sports. I don't see how this can be argued really.
How could it possibly help him win? It was raked before he walked through it, so he returned it to it's previous condition. Also, I'm fairly certain he was planning to avoid the bunker by chipping over it - had he duffed his chip into the bunker that would have more than likely cost him a shot, not helped him win because he 'improved the lie' before going in there for god's sake.
But if he didn't rake it he might have improved his lie by the same token - let's say he flattened a big ridge or two that had been formed in the sand. It's all ifs and buts, the point is he gained zero advantage because he never went in the sodding bunker. He obviously wasn't trying to gain an advantage either.