Dear Linda,
As Rules Chairperson of our women's golf association I was asked a question about Rule 19. In researching this question, I found that I needed to understand the definitions of Competitor, Fellow Competitor, Side, Partner, and Outside Agency. If A, B, C, and D are 4 ladies playing in a stroke play competition I would like to know if I am interpreting the definitions properly:
A and B and C and D are "competitors" in a stroke play competition
Neither A, nor B, nor C, nor D are "partners"
Neither A, nor B, nor C, nor D are "opponents"
A is a "side", B is a "side", C is a "side" , and D is a "side"
Each of A, B, C, and D are "fellow competitors"
Any agency other than the competitor's side or equipment of the competitor's side is an "outside agency."
Suppose A's putt struck B's clubs on the green. Are B and her equipment considered an "Outside Agency?" And if so is there is no penalty to A?
I would appreciate help with this one since it seems as though there should be a penalty to someone.
Thanks,
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
Thank you for reminding my readers about the need to understand the Definitions in order to understand the Rules. This is the reason why the Definitions precede the Rules.
Let’s take a look at your interpretations, all of which are exactly correct except the one I numbered “5”:
1. All four players in an individual stroke play competition are labeled “competitors.”
2. Since I’m assuming, from your context, that this is an individual tournament, none of these players has a “partner.”
3. The term “opponent” is used only in match play.
4. As illogical as it may sound, each competitor is a “side.” If this were a tournament using partners, then the partners would be referred to as a “side.”
5. When players are competing in groups of four, then each of the four players is a competitor, and each one has three “fellow competitors.” Player A’s three fellow competitors are B, C, and D.
6. In stroke play, a fellow competitor’s equipment is an “outside agency.”
Now let’s take a look at your question, remembering that this is a stroke play ruling. If Player A putts, and her ball strikes Player B’s clubs, there is no penalty to anyone. Player B’s clubs are an outside agency to Player A. When you hit your ball and it strikes an outside agency, this is what is known as a “rub of the green.” The ball must be played as it lies [Rules 19-4 and 19-1].
Note that this is one of those rare instances where you are permitted to rectify the problem while the ball is in motion. If Player B (or anyone else in the vicinity) notices Player A’s ball heading towards B’s clubs, she may move them out of the way [Rule 24-1a, last paragraph before the Note].
These rulings are not limited to the putting green. In stroke play, any time you hit another player’s equipment, it is a rub of the green and you will play the ball as it lies. And any player may move her equipment (or anyone else’s equipment, except equipment of the player who hit the ball) out of the path of an oncoming ball.
The difference in match play is that the player has two options: (1) she may play the ball as it lies, just as in stroke play, or (2) she may cancel the stroke and replay it (not an option in stroke play). There is no penalty to anyone attached to either option.
I would hope that players would take the utmost care, when placing their clubs on a green, to find a remote spot safely out of range of every other player’s putt and the path it might take if it goes beyond the hole.
Linda
Copyright © 2011 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
