2020 MGA Rules Quiz - Q15

[rogolf]

15. A right-handed player’s drive comes to rest on the right edge of a wide paved cart path on the right

side of the fairway. The nearest point of complete relief is off the right side of the path, but directly

abutting the right edge of the path is a Ground Under Repair/No Play Zone. Aware that she may not

play her next shot from the No Play Zone, she drops in a relief area she establishes on the fairway

side of the path using the nearest point of complete relief from the position of her ball on the path

as a guide. The relief area for the drop is soft, and the ball embeds, so the player lifts and cleans it,

and drops it again within one club length of the embedded location and no nearer the hole. This

time the lie is pristine, and the player plays onto the green and two putts. What is her score?

A. 5

B. 6

C. 7

D. 8

 

[Mr. Bean]

As a referee I would go for B, 6 strokes.

The player is taking relief in a wrong place (he should have dropped in the NPZ and relieved himself from there on). Dropping again from embedded ball is a continuation of the dropping procedure and is not subject to other penalties than playing from wrong place.

[antip]

Agree with B, 6 strokes. Having dropped in the wrong place, Rule 14.5b permits the ball being lifted, but the player again drops in a wrong place and plays, so get the general penalty.

[nsxguy]

As a favor to the un-rulies here I wonder if you gentlemen might explain your rulings a bit more ?

In this case, where the "wrong place" is.

TIA

[antip]

The player must use a relief area based on the NPCR to the position of the ball, and the question tells you that is off to the RHS of the path. The fact that such area has a different relief conditions is irrelevant in terms of the player's obligations, by taking relief on the LHS (fairway side) of the path, the player has dropped in a wrong place on the first drop and again after lifting the embedded ball and dropping again on the LHS of the path.

[nsxguy]

So because she did not drop in the no play zone before taking relief from the no play zone she dropped in the wrong place, correct?

If the area is a no play zone and you can't under any circumstances play out of that area why would one be required to drop in that area first so one could take relief from an area where you can't play from anyway?

This is the sort of thing that drives the casual player and even mostly serious players bananas. Not to mention wasting time; something the rules specifically targeted with the 2019 re-write. smh

Thanks.

[Mr. Bean]

Even if it would be allowed to take a shortcut and avoid dropping first to the NPZ the player might still be playing from the wrong side of the path. This we cannot tell from the description as we do not know the size of that NPZ.

But bear in mind that dropping a ball first on the NPZ might make a world of difference regarding the NPCR (Nearest Point of Complete Relief) of the next step. A clever drop may give you a huge advantage while a stupid drop may get you in dire straits.

'Going bananas, huh?' I wonder why. It would drive me out of my head if sometimes I could take a shortcut and sometimes I could not! It is far easier to take everything with only one single step at a time considering all outcomes as new situations.

[Newby]

#15 B Rule 14.7; Rule 1.3; Clarification 1.3(4)