What ’ s the Ruling ?
Tweet us your Rules Questions @ CSGALinks # WhatsTheRuling
Following the first round of the 141st British Open Championship last year , Royal Lytham received close to four inches of rain overnight , creating a difficult rules situation for players the following day . According to Rule 25-1b , a player is entitled to free relief from casual water if his ball lies in casual water , or his stance or area of intended swing is interfered with by casual water .
A
Direction of Play
Q :
The player ’ s ball comes to rest in a bunker filled completely with water . With seemingly no way to play the shot , the competitor asks for relief without penalty under Rule 25-1b . However , there is no area within the confines of the bunker that would allow him to drop and not be closer to the hole . In equity , the competitor takes relief by dropping the ball at point A , which is still in the same bunker but slightly closer to the hole .
So ... what ’ s the ruling ?
Answer : The player had three options when taking relief from casual water in the bunker : 1 ) Without penalty , drop the ball at the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole , with the ball remaining in the bunker . 2 ) If complete relief is impossible , as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay that affords maximum available relief , but not nearer the hole . Note that “ Maximum Available Relief ” may involve dropping the ball in casual water that is shallower than where the ball presently lay . 3 ) Under penalty of one stroke , outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped , with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped .
Since the player erred by dropping the ball closer to the hole , he misused option # 2 and is deemed to have played from the wrong place . Since he gained an obvious advantage by dropping in an area of sand , he is therefore disqualified under Rule 20-7 .
By the Book : Explanation of “ Nearest Point of Relief ”
It is the point on the course nearest to where the ball lies : ( i ) that is not nearer the hole , and ( ii ) where no interference by the condition from which relief is sought would exist for the stroke the player would have made from the original position if the condition were not there .