Rule of the Month (April) - Match Play Answers

Rule of the Month  (April) - Match Play

For our April Rule of the Month, we are pleased to highlight a few key rules and scenarios in Match Play competitions. Answers will be posted on Friday 19th April.

Chris and Jo are opponents in the club Match Play tournament, they are not seeing eye to eye.

1.  Chris tees off first but from outside the tee box. Jo sees this but says nothing and tees off herself. Jo then says, “Sorry Chris, you were outside the Tee Box, you have to tee off again”. Chris refuses so they call the referee. Who is right Chris or Jo?

Answer: Chris
In all forms of play, each hole must be started from anywhere within the Tee box.
In Match Play there is no penalty for teeing off from the wrong place, but Jo may cancel the stroke if she does so promptly and before either player makes another stroke.
If cancelled correctly it’s still Chris’s turn to play which she must do from within the teeing area. As Jo didn’t cancel the stroke correctly the stroke counts and the ball is in play and must be played as it lies. When the opponent cancels any stroke, they cannot withdraw the cancellation. Rule 6.1b
 

2.  They both hit their second shots, as they are walking along the fairway, Chris sees a ball in the long grass and picks it up. She says to Jo “That’s lucky, I’ve just found a ball”. Jo says, “Yes, lucky for me, that’s my ball and it will cost you a penalty stroke” Chris disagrees, so they call the referee again. Who is right, Chris or Jo?

Answer: Jo
In Match Play, if the opponent lifts or deliberately touches the player’s ball at rest or causes it to move, the opponent gets one penalty stroke. (There is no penalty in stroke play as another player is treated as an outside influence). There is no penalty if Chris accidentally moves Jo’s ball or lifts the ball when conceding a stroke or at Jo’s request. Rule 9.5
N.B. There is no penalty if she marks and lifts the ball on the Putting Green thinking it’s her own,

3. They take their 3rd shots; Jo lands on the green but Chris is short and chips on, landing close to the flag in 4 shots. Jo walks up to Chris’s ball and hits it back to her saying “I’ll give you that, you are in for five” to which Chris replies “Yes that’s right, but you’ve just lost the hole for testing the green”. Jo disagrees, fortunately the referee was still nearby. Who does the referee agree with?

Answer: Jo
A player must not deliberately rub the surface or roll a ball to test the putting green But under clarification 13.1e/1 there is no breach when:

• Conceding their opponent's next putt, hits the ball away on the same line of play as theirs but does not do so deliberately to learn information about the putting green.
  or

• A player places the palm of their hand on the surface of the putting green on their line of play to determine the wetness of the putting green.

• A player rubs a ball on the putting green to clean off mud.

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