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I've yet to forgive Stewart Cink for winning that year. What happened to his wife?

I love watching 'The Open", in part because of the crappy weather most years and watching the pros deal with it. But I have to ask: Who the hell wants to live with weather like that in July? Canada is tropical in comparison.

When the argument is lost, attack the poster.

This what I find hard to believe although I guess it's possible. I'm just an ordinary hack, yet I know the rule. He is a pro; it's his livelihood. I find it hard to believe that neither he nor his caddy knew the rule. This is not an obscure rule. However, I will mention that after Azinger's rules gaff during the Open, the possibility exists that a lot of these players are not well versed with the rules.

http://www.barryrhodes.com/2012/06/must-you-search-for-your-lost-ball.html A well-explained answer can be found here, along with other burning questions.

During our round today, a hypothetical scenario was discussed: A ball is within a WH or LWH and the player decides to play it as it lies. The result of his stroke is that the ball remains within the hazard but is now in a worse position, one which negates an attempt at another stroke. How does the player now proceed? Is the original point of entry into the hazard still in effect as far as taking a drop etc., or would the new position of the ball within the hazard determine where a drop could take place? Apologies if this has been covered in a previous thread but I found nothing referring to this situation.

CCR, 1970 or thereabouts.

Boo Weekley was doing stats for them, Hey, why not? If they can use a rules guru like Azinger, why not a numbers guy like Boo?

Let me put it this way: I never consume alcohol when I play golf. However, during scrambles I drink with abandon.

That's interesting. As far as my situation goes, I'm "virtually certain" (ha ha) that no such local rule is in force at our club (it's not listed on the score card), but I'll enquire nonetheless. Anyone have any ideas as to the reasoning behind such a local rule? Would it be to prevent players from cherry picking?

This is exactly how I thought it should have been played. Thanks.

Yes, this was exactly what I thought. I nor any of my FC's saw the ball enter the hazard after hitting the tree. As far as I was concerned, the ball could have been anywhere.

I was playing in a qualifying round for interclub competition. On one hole, my tee shot hit a tree that is in the right side of the fairway, after which the ball disappeared from my view. I asked my fellow competitors if anyone saw my ball drop or go to the right into the red staked area (the red staked area does not contain any water... grrr.... but that's another issue). None of the others saw the ball after it hit the tree. My response was that in that case the ball may be lost and I should hit a provisional. One of the fellow competitors said, "That's fine; however, if you hit a provisional but find your original ball in the lateral water hazard, then you must abandon the provisional and play the original ball as it lies. " I agreed with him, but added that the rules allow for a number of one-stroke-penalty options when a ball lies in a lateral water hazard and that I have a right to exercise those options. He countered that he read in the rules that hitting a provisional in this case would negate those options. I was stunned. We went back and forth on this. Another of the fellow competitors sided with him but the other did not get involved. I've never heard of such a rule, and I'm convinced it's nonsense. For example, what if the red staked area actually contained water and my ball was in 3 feet of water? According to my fellow competitor, I would be required to play it from that position had I hit a provisional!?!?!?!? Anyway, the outcome, if anyone is curious, was that my 3 fellow competitors were in agreement that if the ball was not the fairway/rough then it must be in the lateral water hazard (a very faulty assumption in my opinion) and that I should simply take a two-club drop from the red stakes near the tree. For the sake of harmony and moving the round along, I proceeded as they suggested.

Ex Geology professor who quit academe to sell his soul to industry (and I've not regretted a day of it).

I'd like to see a reality show on the golf channel in which three slow players and a very acerbic, cutting, and insistent etiquette coach play a round and the coach just tears into them. Makes them cry. Yes, that's what I want to see: slow players cry. I think it would be a hit. A guy (I imagine a Dennis Leary type; Don Rickles would have been ideal but he's too old) who totally unloads on slow players, who says all the nasty things you've wanted to say. I'd watch. "Hey, how much do you think that flag stick weighs?" "uh... i don't know.." "Well that's because you haven't picked the damned thing up all round! Closest to the hole gets the flag! First in the hole puts it back in! Is that too complicated, or do you think you can get that through your thick head?" etc., etc., etc. To the OP, maybe play would speed up, but as someone cynically and accurately stated, the courses would just shoe horn in more tee times.