Golfer Faces Rules Quandary After Kind Act From Homeowner
WOODBURY, MINN. – A Minnesota golfer is seeking clarity on a unique rules situation after a homeowner returned a wayward shot, perhaps impacting his score. The incident raises questions about outside assistance and its implications under the USGA‘s Rules of Golf,a topic of frequent debate among players of all skill levels.
The golfer, identified as Matt Davis of Woodbury, Minnesota, teed off on a par 3 and sent his ball over the green and onto the tee box of the next hole. After discovering the ball’s resting place, Davis prepared for his recovery shot when a homeowner intervened, tossing the ball back towards him. Davis then proceeded to take free relief from a nearby ball washer, ultimately making par. His playing partner, though, argued that Davis should have recorded a bogey, claiming he improperly took relief and should have declared an unplayable lie. The core of the dispute centers on whether the homeowner’s action constituted outside assistance, and if so, what penalty, if any, should be applied.
Understanding the rules surrounding outside assistance is crucial for golfers. Rule 10.2a generally prohibits receiving advice or help from another person during a round, with penalties ranging from a loss of hole in match play to a two-stroke penalty in stroke play. However, the rules acknowledge exceptions, particularly when it comes to actions that don’t influence a player’s stroke or stance. The USGA clarifies that simply returning a ball to a player doesn’t automatically constitute a breach of the rules, provided it doesn’t improve the player’s situation.
According to guidance from “Rules Guy” at Golf.com, the key consideration is whether the homeowner’s action provided an advantage. If the ball was simply returned to its original location, without being cleaned or placed in a more favorable spot, it likely wouldn’t be considered outside assistance. Though, the situation becomes more complex when a player then takes relief based on the new lie.Davis’s subsequent use of free relief from the ball washer further complicates the matter,as it hinges on whether the ball washer was a movable or permanent obstruction. If permanent, free relief was permissible, but if movable, it was not. The penalty for playing from a wrong place, should the ball washer have been movable, is two strokes, not one for an unplayable lie.
