Question from week #211
In a stroke play event, Powell has hit his drive into a row of bushes that runs between two adjacent holes.
He finds his ball lodged in one of the bushes in an unplayable condition. He elects to take relief under R28, option c, dropping within 2 club-lengths of where his ball lies in the bush. Using his driver to measure 2 club-lengths from his ball, he inserts a tee in the ground, no closer to the hole that marks this 2 club-length distance.
This tee does not quite clear the edge of the bush, but there is a slight ridge in the soil within the two club-lengths that should help deflect the ball out, away from the bush enough for a clear swing. So Powell drops the ball with the intention of dropping between branches and striking the ridge with the dropped ball.
For his first drop, the ball deflects off a branch and rolls about three club lengths away, so he needs to re-drop. On the second drop the ball lodges in the bush again, suspended about 18 inches above the ground. So he drops a third time and this time the ball hits the desired spot and rolls about three feet away from the edge of the bush but no more than two club-lengths from where his ball struck the ground.
He plays this ball onto the green and makes the putt. To make sure he proceeded correctly, during the play of the next hole he checks with a Rules Official about his actions on the previous hole, accurately reviewing what happened.
What is to be Powell's score for the hole?
A. He made four.
B. He made five.
C. He made six.
D. He made six and may be subject to a DQ.
Answer
D is the most correct answer.
Powell hit the ball three times in holing out, but picked up three penalty strokes during play of the hole.
His first penalty stroke was for taking the Unplayable Ball relief (R28c). In the process of his taking the two club-length relief, he first dropped the ball and it rolled more than two club-lengths from where it first struck a part of the course (the branch).
On the second drop, the ball again first struck the course when it hit the bush but this time did not move more than two club-lengths and was in play. Yes, it is suspended 18 inches above the ground, but the ball is in play and Powell must contend with the result. When he again retrieved the ball and dropped a third time, playing to the green, he ended up playing from a wrong place.
As he got to play the ball from the surface rather than suspended in the bush, the Rules Official/Committee may well rule that his error was a serious breach. Since the narrative indicates he is in the middle of playing the next hole, if so ruled a serious breach, it is too late for him to correct the error and would be Disqualified.
To the average player, having to declare a ball unplayable, which comes with a 1-stroke penalty, seems penalty enough. The feeling is the player, in burning a stroke, is entitled to a playable lie after the drop process is complete. Get that idea out of your head.
Know there are no guarantees and no, you are not entitled to a better lie. So pick the best option before you begin and do things like removing loose impediments from an area in which you are to drop.
It also helps if you know how to drop a ball to a spot.
If you have never practiced dropping a ball on a dime-sized spot, next time you are on the range, try it. Stick a tee in the ground, then stand erect, holding a range ball at arm’s length and try to hit the tee.
Think the pros don’t know how to drop to a small spot?
