(atc)
Leave No Doubt
The Rules
Rule 3-3 can be a handy tool for golfers to know in confusing stroke-play situations
D
uring the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral in March, J.B. Holmes was involved in an interesting ruling dealing with his options for a ball in a lateral
water hazard and the obligation to correct an error for operating
outside of these options. The situation involves multiple rules and
shows the importance of knowing all of your options in any given
situation. We were able to gather specifics of the ruling through
correspondence with PGA Tour staff to clarify just what happened.
The first hole at Doral is a 572-yard Par 5 with a lateral water
hazard on the left side of the drive zone and a lateral water
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hazard guarding the right side
of the putting green. Holmes,
after hitting his tee shot left
into the lateral water hazard,
chose to take relief under Rule
26-1c(ii). This option requires
a player to drop a ball outside
the lateral water hazard within
two club-lengths of and not
nearer the hole than a point
on the opposite margin of the
lateral water hazard equidistant from the hole. Holmes
(while operating on his own)
chose the equidistant opposite
margin option, but instead of
dropping the ball within two
club-lengths of the point, he
kept the equidistant point
between himself and the hole
vsga.org
WILFREDO LEE/ASSOCIATED PRESS
by MATT SMILEY with THE PGA TOUR RULES STAFF