Paula's Embedded Ball at the Samsung

[iacas]

Round 2, Hole 16, Par 3.

Paula hits her ball towards a bunker. Nobody really sees it land.

Next time we see the ball it's buried down deep in the shaggy rough about a foot from the bunker. The announcers declare it's probably an "embedded" ball and Paula calls for an official.

Ten minutes later we see Paula placing the ball because it rolled back into the bunker when she was given relief. I guess it must have rolled more than two clublengths?

Anyway, the main question I have is this: why in the hell was she getting relief for an embedded ball? It's a desert, and the embedded ball rule only applies - under standard rules - to areas through the green where the grass is cut to fairway height or lower (i.e. fairways, fringes, tees...). So WTF? They're in the DESERT! It's not like they should have a local rule permitting embedded ball relief anywhere.

The announcers did a horrible job of explaining why this was the correct call. It must have been - a rules official oversaw the whole thing from what I can tell - but why? Why did she get relief?

[laconic517]

i thought you get relief from a plugged ball anywhere....



except hazards

edit: and through the green means the entire hole except for teeing grounds and greens and hazards

edit2: I also think anytime a ball is plugged it can be considered abnormal ground conditions so thats why you get a drop from anywhere, have you ever seen someone actually hit a ball from the rough when it was plugged? It wouldnt be possible, if it was plugged far in enough

[TourSpoon]

The US tours use a local rule for embedded ball that includes any area through the green, not just closely mown areas as stated in Rule 25. I don't think the overseas tours use this variation.

[iacas]

i thought you get relief from a plugged ball anywhere.... except hazards

No, you don't. Rule 25-2 says:

Source: USGA A ball embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.“Closely mown area” means any area of the course, including paths through the rough, cut to fairway height or less.

Pretty much as I said. BTW, every golfer should have this bookmarked: http://usga.org/playing/rules/books/

edit2: I also think anytime a ball is plugged it can be considered abnormal ground conditions so thats why you get a drop from anywhere, have you ever seen someone actually hit a ball from the rough when it was plugged? It wouldnt be possible, if it was plugged far in enough

So you declare your ball unplayable. The USGA defines "abnormal ground conditions" as:

Source: USGA An “abnormal ground condition” is any casual water, ground under repair or hole, cast or runway on the course made by a burrowing animal, a reptile or a bird.

Paula's ball did not qualify, nor does "anytime a ball is plugged" qualify.

The US tours use a local rule for embedded ball that includes any area through the green, not just closely mown areas as stated in Rule 25. I don't think the overseas tours use this variation.

If true - and given what Paula did I suspect it is - that stinks.

Provision 4a in the local rules note allow a committee to extend the relief for an embedded ball to all areas through the green, but it says "temporary conditions" and defines them as "mud, extreme wetness, poor conditions, and protection of course." None of which applied here. Geez, if only us amateurs could have it so nice (well, those who know and play by the rules). This is practically cheating in my mind, even though it's technically not (since the committee must have made such a rule). Lame.

[gogolfing]

I agree; you'd think that in these circumstances she would have to take an unplayable in order to drop it.

[TourSpoon]

Here is some confirmation from a PGA rules official on the local rule used by the tour.

http://www.pgatour.com/story/9481011/

This deserves a rep point for the effort. LOL.

[TourSpoon]

Here is a little gem from 1987 that gets into the differing opinions of embedded ball from the PGA Tour, the USGA and the R&A.; Craig Stadler had to pay the price for not knowing the difference.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...54C0A961948260

[907golfer12]

I am just wondering what you should do in the case of an embedded ball since I have encountered this many times here in the wet ground in Alaska. Thanks for the info.