Do you "Wie" a competitor in a tourney?

[ukalum]

Here's the situation - You are playing in your club Championship and your opponent, who isn't challenging your lead/position, pulls a "Wie" and grounds their club in the hazard. They go about their business playing out the hole, and don't realize that grounded their club, or perhaps don't understand the rule.

Do you:

a) Let it slide. No harm, no foul.

b) Inform them of the 2 stroke penalty at the next tee box.

c) Wait for them to turn in their score card. Then cry foul and disqualify them for signing an incorrect card.

[soloredd]

Tough question

I really want to say A because, in my opinion, it will not affect the shot. Ball has been played, what does it matter at this point?

However, it's in the rules. You have to go with B.

[chriskzoo]

Call it on the spot, or don't call it at all.

If you go with option C, it's just a he said/he said - and then you're known as the ••••••• at the club who tried to get someone disqualified.

[nike_golf]

Since the guy isn't challenging my lead, I leave it alone and possibly bring it up to him if I see him at the 19th hole having a drink.

If he was challenging my lead, I still wouldn't seriously do anything about it, but at the next tee, I bring it up to him just to get inside his head.

[montru]

That is a real tough situation that I wouldn't want to be in, I think I would have to say B and I think that my opponent would do the same.

[chilly]

I hear about some of the BS moves guys have pulled calling penalties on their opponents for an infraction, when it's not really in the "spirit" of the rule.

Point being, the grounding the club in a hazard rule is there so you don't "test" the lie. If someone grounded it accidentally, I wouldn't say anything about it, other then maybe informing them of the rule. If you were to call it on them, and win due to the penalty, what's the point?

[Fourputt]

Here's the situation - You are playing in your club Championship and your opponent, who isn't challenging your lead/position, pulls a "Wie" and grounds their club in the hazard. They go about their business playing out the hole, and don't realize that grounded their club, or perhaps don't understand the rule.

In stroke play call it on the spot. It's every player's responsibility to protect the field in a stroke competition. It doesn't matter where the player stands in the competition relative to the field.

In match play you can call it or not as you choose, because only you are affected by your decision. You can't tell him about it, and then decide not to call it, as that is a breach of Rule 1-3 and would result in both players being disqualified. Decision 33-7/9:

33-7/9 Competitor Who Knows Player Has Breached Rules Does Not Inform Player or Committee in Timely Manner The responsibility for knowing the Rules lies with all players. In stroke play, the player and his marker have an explicit responsibility for the correctness of the player's score card. There may, however, be exceptional individual cases where, in order to protect the interests of every other player in the competition, it would be reasonable to expect a fellow-competitor or another competitor to bring to light a player's breach of the Rules by notifying the player, his marker or the Committee. In such exceptional circumstances, it would be appropriate for the Committee to impose a penalty of disqualification under Rule 33-7 on a fellow-competitor or another competitor if it becomes apparent that he has failed to advise the player, his marker or the Committee of a Rules breach with the clear intention of allowing that player to return an incorrect score. (New)

[patriot07]

I'd have to go with A. No point in calling the guy on a rule that's mostly pointless if you have a big lead. I'd probably be even less likely to call it if it was close, because it would actually affect the match. I'd be more likely to mention it to him on the 19th hole, like one of the other posters said. All that being said, he should know the rule and I wouldn't fault anyone for calling it on the spot. C is just cheap.

[Shorty]

You play by the rules. You don't have the option of "letting it slide". The rules aren't there to be ignored when you feel like it. How is it a "tough situation"? You aren't being an arse if you simply point out the breach.

[ApocG10]

In a stroke play tourney (or any tourney) I would call it, because not doing so may not affect you, but it may put him ahead of someone else who didnt break the rules if you dont call it.

Just a round with friends? I won't even think twice about it, its their game, im playing against myself.

Unless it was one of my best friends, then I would ride them mercilessly about it.

[Jay-Bird]

Rules are Rules. If someone does something illegal (in a tournament) - and I'm the one holding their card - I'm going to tell him the rule and write down the correct score.

Michelle Wie is an idiot. I know everyone has seen this, but I'm quoting it anyway. From yahoo sports

Wie, of course, is no stranger to rules violations. In 2005, she was disqualified from the Samsung World Championships after taking an improper drop. The next year at the Women's British Open, she incurred a two-stroke penalty for grounding her club in a bunker. When asked if she planned to review the Rules of Golf a little closer, she replied, "Well, it is not actually great reading material." And in 2008, she failed to sign her scorecard at the State Farm Classic and got herself bounced from the tournament.

[senorchipotle]

i honestly didn't know that was a rule. quite stupid if you ask me. i've braced myself with my club climbing out of many a bunker. guess that's gonna change now. but seriously, once you've had your shot, there's no reason why you should get a penalty.

[ApocG10]

i honestly didn't know that was a rule. quite stupid if you ask me. i've braced myself with my club climbing out of many a bunker. guess that's gonna change now. but seriously, once you've had your shot, there's no reason why you should get a penalty.

Its fine to ground your club to climb out of a bunker, as long as your ball is not still in said bunker.

Wies ball was still in the hazard.

[Ignorant]

In my mind there is no such option as NOT to call it, the only question is how to bring it up.

As already pointed out by fourputt, in match play one may disregard such a breach, I just don't see any reason why one should do that. In stroke play one MUST act upon such a breach, otherwise one should be disqualified. On the other hand, if there are only two people with opposite views it is the player who's word is taken.

So, how to tell the opponent / fellow-competitor about his breach of rules? Personally I prefer something like this:
- Did you notice that your club touched the ground of that hazard while you were adressing the ball?
- No, I did not.
- Well, I just wanted to check, because that would cost you 2 strokes / loss of this hole (Rule 13-4).
- I don't think I touched the ground.
- Ok, good, no harm done, let us move forward.

If the other person admits having touched the ground then it could go like this:
- Did you notice that your club touched the ground of that hazard while you were adressing the ball?
- Yeah, so what?
- Well, in such a case that would cost you 2 strokes / loss of this hole (Rule 13-4). So you actually did touch the ground?
- I did but wasn't aware it's not allowed.
- Sorry about that but you lost this hole / need to take those penalties.

In case of an argument arising I would just drop it there knowing that the other person will most likely be more careful in the future.

[Amofada]

I won't call it. Simply because it really doesn't matter. It doesn't give the guy an unfair advantage at all. And more imortantly it will create a real unpleasant atmosphere in the group.
A few years back in my club championship I ended up winning by 1 shot. However after the round, the guy I beat (not my marker, the 3rd guy in he group) said I should be penalized for picking up my ball from the hazard with my club way back on hole 4. I was obviously not going to play the ball, it was 2 feet under the surface, I just didn't want to lose an expensive ball when I easily could pick it out with my wedge. What an a**!. And to mention it after the round was over, when it was clear that I had won.... He said the reason wasn't that he was 1 stroke back, but rather so that "I could learn".

In the end I wasn't penalized and the guy looked like a bitter fool

[Fourputt]

One other option that needs to be mentioned. Always, always.... if you see a fellow competitor about to breach a rule you should stop him before he acts if it is possible to do so. That is the best answer to the OP's question. If you can prevent the penalty from occurring in the first place, then you have acted in the most honourable and sportsmanlike way possible.

[pittpanther]

I won't call it. Simply because it really doesn't matter. It doesn't give the guy an unfair advantage at all. And more imortantly it will create a real unpleasant atmosphere in the group.

Doesn't he have an obligation to report the breach "in a timely manner," and not waiting until after the round ends? If indeed you did breach, but he didn't report it in a timely manner, you would BOTH need to be DQ'd, correct?

Or he never reported it offically, he was just flapping his mouth afterwards, trying to make you feel bad? What a d**k move on his part.

[soon_tourpro]

you bring it up, no excuse for not following the rules.
its better to teach the rules by example.

I made many mistakes and learned what to do in play with friends.