2 stroke penalty keeps 17 yr old out of Oakmont

[kpaulhus]

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/us-open-two-stroke-penalty-costs-teenager-chance-compete-oakmont

Good on Wilkinson for 1. Protecting the field & 2. Giving the kid a warning before calling the rules official over. 

Sucks that he didn't make it, but rules are rules.

[iacas]

He repaired pitch marks in the fairway with his club.

And to those commenters who said he should have penalized the kid the first time and not warned him twice… I agree.

Know the rules if you're going to play the game at a high level.

[mchepp]

If he continued to do it after being warned than there is simply no excuse. Either he is not very bright or he just wanted to cheat. Either way he should be penalized.

[Gator Hazard]

If he had been told twice by his partner than there is no doubt available about miscommunication or not knowing rules in my mind.  First time maybe an honest mistake, second time, maybe it was not communicated clearly the first time (although I highly doubt that). The third time: you are a cheater and should be disqualified. And as others said you should know the rules if playing at that level to get into a PGA Major event. 

Edited June 9, 2016 by Gator Hazard

[kpaulhus]

I can't believe he felt the need to repair a ball mark in the fairway. I know it was wet, but who cares it's not going to affect your shot unless the ball is sitting in the mark...but you would be able to pull it out for an embedded ball. 

[Golfingdad]

11 minutes ago, kpaulhus said:

I can't believe he felt the need to repair a ball mark in the fairway. I know it was wet, but who cares it's not going to affect your shot unless the ball is sitting in the mark...but you would be able to pull it out for an embedded ball. 

I guess I don't understand then.  Because according to the rule as its quoted in the article, the act of repairing the mark would have to improve the lie or stance or swing for it to be a violation.

I would think that the marks must have been nearly up against his ball then.

[Aguirre]

2 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

I guess I don't understand then.  Because according to the rule as its quoted in the article, the act of repairing the mark would have to improve the lie or stance or swing for it to be a violation.

I would think that the marks must have been nearly up against his ball then.

Yeah, I'm confused, too.  The article is written poorly.

[kpaulhus]

7 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

I guess I don't understand then.  Because according to the rule as its quoted in the article, the act of repairing the mark would have to improve the lie or stance or swing for it to be a violation.

I would think that the marks must have been nearly up against his ball then.

Or where his footing was

[iacas]

Haven't you ever had a ball plug and pop out a few inches backward? That's what I imagine this is.

[kpaulhus]

Yes I'm willing to bet he backed his drive up out of a pitch mark and it was relatively close. 

[Aguirre]

9 minutes ago, iacas said:

Haven't you ever had a ball plug and pop out a few inches backward? That's what I imagine this is.

Oh sure but a few inches backward wouldn't affect his lie.  It's got to be like an inch, right?  Hey, maybe that's what happened.  

[Golfingdad]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Haven't you ever had a ball plug and pop out a few inches backward?

You're assuming we have fairways in California that are soggy.  We don't even have rain during a "severe" El Niño. :P

[iacas]

On June 8, 2016 at 10:42 PM, Aguirre said:

Oh sure but a few inches backward wouldn't affect his lie.  It's got to be like an inch, right?  Hey, maybe that's what happened.  

It doesn't matter. See Rule 13.

Unless the ball mark is on the green, repair it after you hit your shot.

[Golfingdad]

59 minutes ago, iacas said:

It doesn't matter. See Rule 13.

Unless the ball mark is on the green, repair it after you hit your shot.

Im not clear on why it doesn't matter.  The rule says he can't improve his lie or stance or swing so if the mark is clear of all three of those, then it wouldn't be a penalty, right?

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Im not clear on why it doesn't matter.  The rule says he can't improve his lie or stance or swing so if the mark is clear of all three of those, then it wouldn't be a penalty, right?

I was responding to this:

On June 8, 2016 at 10:42 PM, Aguirre said:

Oh sure but a few inches backward wouldn't affect his lie.

Doesn't matter if it affects his lie if it affects, among other things, his line of play, the area of his stance or swing…