What would you have done? (Ethics question)

Alright, so I try and keep this as short as possible. My dad played in a "Buddy" match over the weekend. It's a really big deal for his club, and he and his partner had a chance to be the first team to reapeat. It was the championship match.

The team they were playing were "rivals" sort of speak in that they play (LOOOOOONG STORY) fromt the white tees based on their handicap from the previous year. One guy can crank it 300+ which, from the whites, can give you many low irons into the greens. My dad and his partner play from the Blues.

Pretty much irrelevant, but it gives a little backstory, these teams are not "friends".

So, it's a tight match thur 10. All square.

Everyone tees off on 11. I am just watching, not playing. My dad's parter, Delph, sees one of the guys teeing of, but noticed a LOT of woods still in the bag, so he walks over and checks it out. Yep, 15 clubs in the bag.

My dad checks as well, Yep, 15.

Do you call him on it?

In match play, if you do not declare one club unusable in the first two holes, and have 15, you lose current hole plus one. So they would head to 13 +2, or they could just play it out and see how it goes, and not call him on it.

What would you have done? If you win, would you feel bad? Shut up and play or call him on it and go +2 and head to 13?

In a club championship? Hell yeah I'd call him on it.

Of course you would! If it was a friendly match, sure, let it slide but CC are a big thing (at least where I live)

Yeah, it's a really big deal. I think they didn't want the other team to feel the championship was "stolen" because of it.

Definitely call the penalty. This is a competition , not a fun round among friends. He had an unfair advantage, and whether he gained anything from it is irrelevant. As soon as the infraction is noticed, it should be called.

And, BTW, this isn't an ethics question, it's a clearcut rules question.

I would definitely call it on that one!

Looks like the rules weren't strictly enforced in the first place. Still, I would have called him on it. However, I wouldn't want to win on a technicality. If he hasn't use that club and if it was an honest mistake, I'd be ok for them another form of penalty.

Who won the match and what did they do?

In that instance a rule is a rule.... remember woosnam not that many years ago with an extra club in the bag? The club AND his caddy were punished by an irate woosie.

In a match that you intend to play by the rules ALL rules apply, if it was that important the guy should have been paying more attention anyway. Let alone watever other "advantages" they were trying to gain.

I'd imagine there was a format sheet given to all plyaers before the start of play which would have had a line on the rules being govern by USGA standards. And maybe even a line directly stating the 14-club rule. That's what we have in our Men's Club Competitions.

FourPutt nailed. It's a club competition and the rules are the rules. Nail em on it. But, you can't wait. Like to know what eventual outcome was.

I agree. They should be called on it. It's not the way you want to win it, but rules are rules.

There was, and yes they play USGA rules.

Thanks for the input guys.

They did call them on it, went to 13 +2, and won 4 and 2. They guy was VERY MAD, used some extremely foul language directed at both my dad and his partner, and didn't say another word the entire round.

Talked to the parter, who wasn't nearly as mad. The guy claimed a friend gave him the club the day before to try out and he forgot about it. None of us know if he used it or not.

They are repeat champs, and i think both feel bad about what happened, but still felt they did the right thing. It has been a BIG point of emphasis for the Men's Club to abide by all rules (too many rolling it over for better lies and giving 6-footers to friends, etc).

The guy knew he messed up, and was mad about going down two holes. They didn't play well the rest of the round. IMO, that is what cost them the match. They could have came back, both of them stroked on 17 and 18 and neither my dad or his partner did. It defintely wasn't over, but in his head it was, so the outcome came true.

A good example of bad mental mindset costing you a tournament.

If he won, I'd bang him on it, If I won, Awww forget it, we still won.

Terrible attitude... Besides, it would be too late to call the violation once the round was over.

it amazes me how many people cheat at Golf....it is sad imho, I would have called them on it right then and there......if you are really serious about the game of Golf, you simply don't cheat, with your score, mulligans, more clubs then should be in the bag, and many more example.......

Ditto.

They did the right thing. Rules are rules. End of discussion.