Rules Situation: Ball Rests on Twig Over Hole

[Fourputt]

I can think of a scenario which is "almost" the same, the ball is witnessed rolling toward the hole with plenty of speed to fall, but hits a twig right at the edge of the hole and is stopped.  Now you have a simple rub of the green (ball in motion deflected or stopped by outside agency) and the ball is played as it lies.  But for the twig, the ball would have been holed.  To me, equity would require that the OP scenario would treated the same.  

Edited February 24, 2018 by Fourputt

[Missouri Swede]

32 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

I can think of a scenario which is "almost" the same, the ball is witnessed rolling toward the hole with plenty of speed to fall, but hits a twig right at the edge of the hole and is stopped.  Now you have a simple rub of the green (ball in motion deflected or stopped by outside agency) and the ball is played as it lies.  But for the twig, the ball would have been holed.  To me, equity would require that the OP scenario would treated the same.  

I think the difference is that in your scenario, there likely isn’t a question about where the ball is to be placed after you remove the loose impediment and the flagstick. 

[Fourputt]

47 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

I think the difference is that in your scenario, there likely isn’t a question about where the ball is to be placed after you remove the loose impediment and the flagstick. 

The rules don't question it in the OP scenario either.  The only thing that brings any question to the table is what I consider an odd ruling by the R&A.

[Rulesman]

Well they are consistent. They've ruled on it at least 3 times.

[iacas]

5 hours ago, Rulesman said:

Well they are consistent. They've ruled on it at least 3 times.

Now it’s three.

And the USGA guys felt differently until the R&A jumped ahead.

[Rulesman]

I thought the US favoured first past the post 

[iacas]

9 hours ago, Rulesman said:

I thought the US favoured first past the post 

I don't know what that means.

[Buckeyebowman]

My question is this. Whjy is there a twig laying across the hole? I'm guessing this whass not a putting situation. So, what is wrong with the greenskeepeers and the players who came before?

[saevel25]

14 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

My question is this. Whjy is there a twig laying across the hole? I'm guessing this whass not a putting situation. So, what is wrong with the greenskeepeers and the players who came before?

Wind blows twig, twig stops across the hole. There isn't a greenskeeper on every hole making sure twigs do not stop over the hole. 

[Golfingdad]

3 hours ago, saevel25 said:

Wind blows twig, twig stops across the hole. There isn't a greenskeeper on every hole making sure twigs do not stop over the hole. 

Also, I'm not convinced this wasn't just set up for the photo and the question.

[boogielicious]

10 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

My question is this. Whjy is there a twig laying across the hole? I'm guessing this whass not a putting situation. So, what is wrong with the greenskeepeers and the players who came before?

[rehmwa]

so now it's an eagle.  rules are a funny thing.  I'd have thought it set up for the tap in birdie and didn't like it too much, but no biggie as long as it's done the same for everyone.

 

either way - If it happened to me, I'd have taken a picture and put it everywhere.  and that stick would be in several pieces with a small bit left on every fairway until the end of the round.  Death by a thousand whittles....

[cutchemist42]

I personally like what the R&A declared it to be. USGA cant stick to their guns about the ruling then?

Did this actually happen or was it setup to cause a discussion? The placement seems like an intentional practical joke to me.

[Rulesman]

This may or may not be a setup but the R&A had already ruled at least twice on similar situations.

[iacas]

24 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

This may or may not be a setup but the R&A had already ruled at least twice on similar situations.

You only ever cited one, and I disagree that they're similar. In the leaf case you cited at least two things were different:

• The ball was resting against the flagstick.
• The ball was completely over the hole (within the circumference).

The one you cited, too, you didn't really cite - you simply said it had occurred.

[Rulesman]

The R&A said publicly it had occurred 30 years ago. 

[iacas]

6 hours ago, Rulesman said:

The R&A said publicly it had occurred 30 years ago. 

Right, but it's only "similar," not the same.

And I outlined two reasons above why I don't think it's even all that similar. I think the R&A got this one wrong.

So do several high up guys in the USGA. Given the proximity to 2019, and the infrequency of something like this occurring, I think they're just dropping it.

[Rulesman]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

Right, but it's only "similar," not the same.

And I outlined two reasons above why I don't think it's even all that similar.

Do you know the details of that case?

Edited March 2, 2018 by Rulesman