Poulter Dropped His Ball on His Marker - Share Odd Infractions of the Rules of Golf

[Old1964]

Watching Poulter get a one stroke penalty for accidentally dropping his ball on his marker (and consequently moving it) today at the Dubai tournament was painful. But, it caused me to wonder...

What's the oddest penalties incurred by the pros or yourselves?

[deasy55]

During the summer i chipped onto a downslope and my ball rolled into the bunker behind the hole....that I had already been in for the previous shot and raked :@

[James_Black]

During the summer i chipped onto a downslope and my ball rolled into the bunker behind the hole....that I had already been in for the previous shot and raked :@

would that be an infraction?

did the marshal say it was against the rules?

[Old1964]

After addressing the ball my ball on the a severely tilted green at the El Dorado,
my ball was got caught by a gust of wind and rolled off the green.
Great, a penalty - so unfair, I thought to myself.
Then, I three-putted. Great!
I love golf, but she is an unfaithful mistress.

[Old1964]

Yes, Poulter received a one stroke penalty from the rules official at the 18th green.
As it turns out, he would have lost anyway, but .... it's just one of those "harsher" rules noted the announcer.

I bet you he will never, ever do that again.

It sounded like there wouldn't have been a penalty if the marker didn't move.

Should've used a cheap plastic one with a little peg - it would have stayed put!

[iacas]

During the summer i chipped onto a downslope and my ball rolled into the bunker behind the hole....that I had already been in for the previous shot and raked :@

No penalty.

[Shindig]

The first story that comes to mind isn't an infraction, just some bad luck. A few years ago, Tom Kite was on the 71st hole, and at the top of the leaderboard. His approach over water hits a bird and falls into the hazard, and I think he lost by one.

The other story that comes to mind is... I think this was at Q-School a few years ago. Someone marked his ball on the green and tossed it to his caddy to clean. Said caddy misses the ball, which goes into a water hazard. Some searching later, they can't find the ball and he has to finish with another ball (at the appropriate penalty).

[Old1964]

That's why I carry my own clubs - just can't trust those caddies. LOL

[RC]

I've been told this may not be a penalty anymore, but it used to be and I got nailed for it. I chipped up and had a leaner on the edge of the cup. I walked up holding my wedge in one hand and my putter in the other, and tapped the ball in the hole with the putter. A competitor called a penalty saying a stroke could only be played holding one club, not two... and the committee agreed with him after studying the rules. This was circa late nineteen sixties. I have not looked at the situation under the current rules and any decisions, but I think it may no longer be a penalty. Does anyone know? A decision in the rules states that only one club head may be involved in a stroke, implying one club.

[Shindig]

Turns out the stories I told aren't so recent. The Tom Kite story was 2001 FleetBoston Classic.

The "wrong ball" story turns out wasn't Q-School (and here I thought stories like that were reserved for it). Raymond Russell, 2001 Compass English Open... once again at 17. What is it with the penultimate hole in my stories?

[Judah Ben-Hur]

I caught the last few holes of regulation when it looked like Poulter was going to win it outright. Something got my attention but I wasn't watching it on a DVR so I couldn't play it back. He was on either 17 or 18 and had hit it in the wood chips to the left of the fairway. It might have been the first playoff at 18. I heard the announcer say he was in a hazard and had to be careful of gounding the club. He had a clear shot out because it didn't land in front of the bushy grass in there. I noticed his caddie had dropped his bag not to far from the ball. It wasn't standing upright at all. If any of those clubs, headcovers or not were to have touched the ground while Ian was getting ready to address his ball or being in the hazard with him, would there have been a violation?

Early in the morning so might not have it at 100% accuracy.

[Lefty-Golfer]

The Tom Kite story is what it is. bad luck for sure but at least the ball was in the course of play and ended up in the hazzard...the ball being marked and thrown into the water is stupid...and everyone knows it. it was out of play for pete's sake. him hitting a new or different ball changes nothing.

at times golf can be its own worst enemy.

[Uncle Lau]

Felt sorry for him....from now on, i will throw all my coin or magnetic markers and use only plastic pin on type.....

[Fourputt]

I've been told this may not be a penalty anymore, but it used to be and I got nailed for it. I chipped up and had a leaner on the edge of the cup. I walked up holding my wedge in one hand and my putter in the other, and tapped the ball in the hole with the putter. A competitor called a penalty saying a stroke could only be played holding one club, not two... and the committee agreed with him after studying the rules. This was circa late nineteen sixties. I have not looked at the situation under the current rules and any decisions, but I think it may no longer be a penalty. Does anyone know? A decision in the rules states that only one club head may be involved in a stroke, implying one club.

You were the victim of a bad ruling. Even the best rules officials make mistakes. I just read through the 1960-1964 Rules of Golf and there is nothing mentioned which even hints at such a prohibition.

As long as they aren't used in the actual stroke, you could be holding 5 clubs in your off hand without incurring any penalty. It goes right along with the myth that you can't tap the ball into the hole with a club in one hand and the flagstick in the other. I have never been able to find any evidece that it was ever true, yet many golfers will swear that it was at one time or another.

[RichF]

The thing is, in today's world of sports-cheats (and it's RIFE in so many sports now) and sports-'gamesmenship', I think it's great to see such arcane rules upheld...and by the players themselves, no less.

This is what makes golf such a great game...

[Fourputt]

I noticed his caddie had dropped his bag not to far from the ball. It wasn't standing upright at all. If any of those clubs, headcovers or not were to have touched the ground while Ian was getting ready to address his ball or being in the hazard with him, would there have been a violation?

No. You are allowed to place clubs you have brought with you in the hazard as long as nothing is done to test the surface. Note the part of the exceptions to Rule 13-4 which I highlighted in bold type.

13-4. Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions Except as provided in the Rules, before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard (whether a bunker or a water hazard) or that, having been lifted from a hazard, may be dropped or placed in the hazard, the player must not: a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard; b. Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club; or c. Touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard. Exceptions: 1. Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard or water in a water hazard as a result of or to prevent falling, in removing an obstruction, in measuring or in marking the position of, retrieving, lifting, placing or replacing a ball under any Rule or (b) places his clubs in a hazard. 2. After making the stroke, if the ball is still in the hazard or has been lifted from thehazard and may be dropped or placed in the hazard, the player may smooth sand or soil in the hazard, provided nothing is done to breach Rule 13-2 with respect to his next stroke. If the ball is outside the hazard after the stroke, the player may smooth sand or soil in the hazard without restriction. 3. If the player makes a stroke from a hazard and the ball comes to rest in another hazard, Rule 13-4a does not apply to any subsequent actions taken in the hazard from which the stroke was made. Note: At any time, including at address or in the backward movement for the stroke, the player may touch, with a club or otherwise, any obstruction, any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course or any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing.

[jamo]

I just read a Yahoo article that claims Poulter was "victimized" by the rule. I disagree totally. Poulter made a mistake and (credit to him) he incurred the appropriate penalty. Here is the article: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/de...rn=golf-289975

[ejimsmith]

I caught the last few holes of regulation when it looked like Poulter was going to win it outright. Something got my attention but I wasn't watching it on a DVR so I couldn't play it back. He was on either 17 or 18 and had hit it in the wood chips to the left of the fairway. It might have been the first playoff at 18. I heard the announcer say he was in a hazard and had to be careful of gounding the club. He had a clear shot out because it didn't land in front of the bushy grass in there. I noticed his caddie had dropped his bag not to far from the ball. It wasn't standing upright at all. If any of those clubs, headcovers or not were to have touched the ground while Ian was getting ready to address his ball or being in the hazard with him, would there have been a violation?

Poulter wasn't in a hazard. The ball was sitting up on a wood chip, so the commentator was saying he shoudln't ground the club or it will cause the wood chip (and hense the ball) to move.