Craziest Situation You've Ever Seen?

Titleist34 · August 25, 2006

Tiger's #9

Has anyone seen a crazier situation than Tiger's #9 today after hitting his second shot over the green off the road and onto the clubhouse.

What is the weirdest situation you've ever been in?

TigerStrong · August 25, 2006

What do you guys think about the mess the rules officials are making with Tiger. Any other tour player and they are walking back to the last spot they hit from hitting 4. What do you guys think?

matt411 · August 25, 2006

Why would they be walking back? they found the ball and there is no O.B.

TigerStrong · August 25, 2006

How long did it take to find the ball? Over 5 minutes. Yea. Read the rules.

Huskypride28 · August 25, 2006

On Tiger's last hole on #9, he launched his second shot from the trees way over the green, bounces off the cart path, then bounces over the club house roof in which no one could find it. Apparently, a cook found it in the parking lot 30 minutes later, but couldn't be confirmed. Tiger was then given a free drop 100 yards to the right of the green due to the Temporary Obstruction rule. The official told the broadcaster that since an outsider (the cook) had picked up the ball, and that there is no OB around the ninth, they used the TO rule for the club house like it was a grand stand. :cheesy: Please, someone explain how the club house is considered a temporary obstruction. Even Tiger said he couldn't believe he didn't get a penalty.

Cmack42976 · August 25, 2006

That was definitely a crazy situation. It appeared that the rules officials had no clue how to handle it. At the time of writing this, the top story on ESPN.com was "Tiger puts iron shot on roof"--just goes to show you how popular he his when the top sports story at the moment is him making a strange bogey :cheesy:

Craziest shot that I've hit was when I was in high school. Half-buried in the greenside bunker on the 18th, I skulled the shot 40 yards over the green and rattled the ball off the club house's deck. Luckily, nobody was out there eating to get nailed with the ball lol. The ball stayed there and there were no out of bounds stakes, so nobody had a clue where I should drop. Tiger's situation today definitely brought back memories of that shot.

TXMB6 · August 25, 2006

Playing my campus course in college. Hit a driver righter than right over a six lane road. It landed behind a small building. I couldn't see the green from where it landed but I played it anyway back to the green in one shot and made my 2 putt.

vthokie1157 · August 25, 2006

i think they may have found it within 5 minutes, or at least the rules officials were there not that long but the ruling was the thing that took a while, i believe.

Cmack42976 · August 25, 2006

Personally, I would have assumed that a clubhouse would be considered part of the golf course, and wouldn't be subject to free relief rules. I wonder if someone ranked #100 in the world would have been given the same ruling? just kidding.

provost · August 25, 2006

First of all the rules are the same for everyone, including you. Please refer to your Rule book for the answer 24-3b.

JDW22 · August 25, 2006

I did find it unusual for the club house to be in bounds; however, if those are the local rules at this tournament what can you say. IMHO it was the officials that took so long to make a ruling, not Tiger. I don't think they would cut him anymore slack on a ruling than any other player. Just my 2-cents.

matt411 · August 25, 2006

How long did it take to find the ball? Over 5 minutes. Yea. Read the rules.

i have read them trot. i guess being a junior you get a slide on being a smartass. When the rules official comes up and is talking to you about a ruling for 30 minutes during the time you would normally be looking for the ball and while he is making his ruling someone finds the ball, what do you expect the ruling to be.

Ball Lost in Immovable Obstruction

If a ball is lost in an immovable obstruction, the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the obstruction must be determined and, for the purpose of applying this Rule, the ball is deemed to lie at this spot and the player may take relief as follows:

(i) Through the Green: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot through the green, the player may substitute another ball without penalty and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(i).

(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot in a bunker, the player may substitute another ball without penalty and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(ii).

(iii) In a Water Hazard (including a Lateral Water Hazard): If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot in a water hazard, the player is not entitled to relief without penalty. The player must proceed under Rule 26-1.

(iv) On the Putting Green: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot on the putting green, the player may substitute another ball without penalty and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(iii).

t8er · August 25, 2006

In High School, we played a course that had a road running along the left side of the 18th hole. I hooked it into the road and hit the front bumper on a police car. Another time, I was playing with a guy that sliced the tee shot out towards a road and hit a kid on a moped.

Charlie_Foxtrot · August 25, 2006

How long did it take to find the ball? Over 5 minutes. Yea. Read the rules.
i have read them trot. i guess being a junior you get a slide on being a smartass. When the rules official comes up and is talking to you about a ruling for 30 minutes during the time you would normally be looking for the ball and while he is making his ruling someone finds the ball, what do you expect the ruling to be.

Ball Lost in Immovable Obstruction
If a ball is lost in an immovable obstruction, the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the obstruction must be determined and, for the purpose of applying this Rule, the ball is deemed to lie at this spot and the player may take relief as follows:

(i) Through the Green: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot through the green, the player may substitute another ball without penalty and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(i).
(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot in a bunker, the player may substitute another ball without penalty and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(ii).
(iii) In a Water Hazard (including a Lateral Water Hazard): If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot in a water hazard, the player is not entitled to relief without penalty. The player must proceed under Rule 26-1.
(iv) On the Putting Green: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot on the putting green, the player may substitute another ball without penalty and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(iii).

pwned!

But seriously, I enjoy these discussions because newbs like me get a chance to learn something. It's easier to understand the rules in a real-life situation.

rgjusa · August 25, 2006

And just to add to the fact that it looks like the clubhouse was an "immovable obstruction", the only way that it could not be (ie. an immovable obstruction" is if the committee have declared, in this case, the clubhouse as an integral part of the course.

Cmack42976 · August 25, 2006

I guess my confusion came from what is or is not considered an obstruction:

An “obstruction’’ is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured

ice, except:

a. Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings;

b. Any part of an immovable artificial object that is out of bounds; and

c. Any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course.

So I see now that as long as the clubhouse wasn't in an area marked as out of bounds, and it wasn't declared a part of the course by the Committe, it's considered just that-an obstruction. Thanks for the info guys. I've been playing golf over 20 years but I've never been a rules expert. I guess I've learned something new today. :cheesy:

stickman · August 25, 2006

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2561579 haha

samm980 · August 25, 2006

The fact it was Tiger should have nothing to do with it. The clubhouse was not out of bounds. Whether you like that or not it's the local rule, this seems like someone who does not like Tiger looking for something to pick on him for.

rgjusa · August 25, 2006

I have to add that it is extremely unusual for there not to be something on the scorecard, or local rules, that says how the clubhouse, in this case, is to be considered. It shouldn't take 45 minutes under any circumstances.

DemolitionMan · August 25, 2006

Next year there will probably be some white stakes planted around the clubhouse and then it will be a non-issue.

Charlie_Foxtrot · August 25, 2006

From the Decisions:

24-2b/14 Window of Clubhouse Opened and Ball Played Through Window

Q. A competitor hit a ball into a clubhouse which was not out of bounds and had not been declared an integral part of the course. In order to play it out, he opened a window, claiming that it was a movable (or partially movable) obstruction. Was this permissible?

A. Yes. The clubhouse was an immovable obstruction. However, any part of it designed to be movable, such as a window or door, may be moved to any position if this can be done without undue delay.

The same principle would apply if the clubhouse had been declared an integral part of the course.

Improving Line of Play by Removing Stone from Wall — See 13-2/32.

Improving Line of Play by Removing Part of Fence — See 13-2/32.5.

Outside Agency Removes Immovable Obstruction on Player’s Line of Play — See 13-2/33.

24-2b/15 Opening Barn Doors to Play Shot Through Barn

Q. May a player open the doors of a barn to enable him to play a shot through the barn?

A. Yes. A barn is an immovable obstruction, but the doors are movable and may be opened. See also Decision 24-2b/14.

So, did the ruling occur before the ball was found and, therefore, was assummed to be lost in the obstruction?

pitbull808 · August 25, 2006

*****EDIT...topics merged. :cheesy:

Road Warrior · August 25, 2006

Guys, the ball was never found. It was openly assumed that some guy in a red/orange shirt picked up and took the ball, as we saw on television. The blimp had live video of a guy on the far side of the clubhouse in the loading bay pick up a golf ball and walk away, and the rules official told this to Tiger and that is why they used the equidistant rule.

CowtownTexas · August 25, 2006

I only saw the last minute or two of what happened. The question I would have is which rules apply in this tournament? It's not a PGA, USGA, or an R&A event. It's a WGC event. Anyone know whose rules apply in this tournament?

pitbull808 · August 25, 2006

******* One again...merged. :cheesy:

DemolitionMan · August 26, 2006

I only saw the last minute or two of what happened. The question I would have is which rules apply in this tournament? It's not a PGA, USGA, or an R&A event. It's a WGC event. Anyone know whose rules apply in this tournament?

It is an officially sanctioned PGA Tour event with PGA Tour rules applied.