Matchplay question

Jhale · July 23, 2006

Any rule for this ??????

Playing for my scratch team, i happened to be goin up the last a/s. my man hit his ball so far ritght it was a joke. I was walking down the fairway but out the corner of my eye he was taking a drop. He didnt ask permission or consult me (ect) i thought he was taking a penalty drop! so we get up to the green i thought i won with a par. My man then said it was a half and he didn't take a penalty drop but free releif from a path!

Is there a rule for not asking or consulting myself or is it just courtasy like their club pro told me???

SadTrombone · August 3, 2006

Consult you? I don't know..

In match play, since your shot could be influenced by how you percieve my position to be, I'd probably yell over "Hey...I'm taking the drop from the cart path" and that would be the end of it.

If you wanted to come over to watch me drop, more power to ya...I don't mind. But to ask you "is this a drop from the path?" is a waste of time and the pace of play anymore is already too slow.

I don't think it's a big deal.

-mini

SheriffBooth · August 3, 2006

Yeah, not sure what the R&A has to say about this, but I'm pretty sure USGA rules do not require a player to consult with his opponent on drops, whether they're free or penalty. But as a general rule it's a good idea to tell your opponent what you're doing to prevent disputes.

SadTrombone · August 3, 2006

The only USGA rule I can think of is the one on asking where your oponent stands. I know in Match Play if you ask "what do you lay?" the oponent has to give the correct information vs. the fellow competitor in stroke play I believe can opt not to say.

So...if you dropped and were asked "what do you lay?" you'd have to say "one with a cart path drop..." or whatever.

Basically just yell over what you're doing...solves the problem.

-mini

PS

Playoff or halve the match?

Jhale · August 4, 2006

Just a half........ Thanks for your gugs help!!!!!!!!

GehenHerzog · August 4, 2006

By not informing you of what he was doing when he was dropping, he was technically giving you wrong information which results in a loss of hole for your opponent. Look at Rule 9-2b., it is pretty close to what happened in your match.

SadTrombone · August 4, 2006

By not informing you of what he was doing when he was dropping, he was technically giving you wrong information which results in a loss of hole for your opponent. Look at Rule 9-2b., it is pretty close to what happened in your match.

He wasn't giving "wrong" information if he wasn't giving any information.

Is there a decision on this rule?

-mini

maguy1970 · August 4, 2006

I think you should have asked as well. Like when approaching the green, "What do you lie?" Then he would have had to tell you about the drop. If there was a question about if that was the actual ball or not, I do not know. One, was the ball hit so far right off the tee that you thought he was OB or a lost ball?

I think it all depends on serious this match was. I think you could have been a pr*ck about it and checked to see if it was the same ball he was playing prior to the mystery drop. That actually leads me a question...

If in a match states he is playing a Titleist red 3 with black markings, then on th enext hole he swaps out for a red 4 due to some scuffing or whatever, are they required to inform their opponent of the swap?

Anyways, if you definitely thought the ball was long gone and then it mysteriously was in a different location, particularily one providing a free drop, you could have tried to ascertain whether it was the first ball or not maybe.

That reminds me of a jack-@ss at my club. He pulled a ball into some woods. I was helping him look and we couldn;t find it. He stated it was fine, I should just go play out. Go figure, he found it almost immediately after I started to walk away. So I take the guy at his word, he plays this ball out. After he hits his shot and picks his bag up, he starts walking up, but you could notice that he continued to look for a ball as he came back onto the hole. It seemed like some pretty guilty behaviour to me. But hey, I was out there for fun, I don't do it for a living (thank christ or my family would starve!) so something like that in a $5 nassau is water off this ducks @ss.

SadTrombone · August 4, 2006

There it is...Rule 9-2

He's only required to tell you "as soon as practicable" when he incurs a penalty.

Since there's no penalty for dropping from a cart path, he wasn't required to tell you. You are, however, allowed to ask him what he lies...then he has to tell you the truth.

If he incurs a penalty but it isn't possible/practical to tell you until after your next stroke, that's okay...it doesn't say he has to tell you before you hit your next shot (Decision 9-2/1).

He's okay and you halved the match...no harm, no foul.

-mini

maguy1970:

As far as I know it's just a good idea to tell your fellow competitor/oponent if you change numbers. That way, they are looking for a Titleist 4 instead of a Titleist 3, etc.

But as long as I have the same brand, type and markings, I usually just switch it out. After the hole is over I can do that at my will. There is only one birdie in every ball :drinks:

-mini