During the second round of Volvo China Open, Ian Poulter incurred a two-stroke penalty for dropping a ball incorrectly under Rule 24-2 after taking relief from a cart path.

He originally hit his ball into some dense foliage on the par-13^th and proceeded under Rule 28c, dropping within two-club lengths of where his ball lay.  After that drop, his ball came to rest on the cart path and Poulter decided to take relief for that situation as well.  However, he dropped the ball two club-lengths from his nearest point of relief and played that ball, which resulted in the two-stroke penalty.

If a player elects to take relief from an immovable obstruction, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief.

Had Poulter realized his error before playing his shot after taking relief from the cart path, he would have been able to correct his error under Rule 20-6.

After the round, Poulter said “We make mistakes, I guess, and that was a fun one.  Guess I need to get the rules book back out and start chewing it.”

The silver lining is that Poulter still made the cut after incurring this penalty and provided some humour for his for 1.6 million Twitter followers.

I’m such a ¥#%$¥+€ helmet, the most simple Rule that I had been given the day before, Drop in second club length. Errr wrong 2 shot penalty.

— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 25, 2014

I didn’t think it would be difficult to drop a golf ball, but today I managed to make a complete $€$%^#¥= arse of it. Basic Rules. #Nobhead

— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 25, 2014

The funniest cartoon picture of me taking an illegal drop today wins a signed Ryder cup photo & @ijpdesign goodies. follow & use @ijpdesign

— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 25, 2014

Golf Digest has a great article showing cartoons submitted on Twitter. You can check them out here.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Players come from all over the world to compete in the Masters, and so do rules officials.

And at times, they have their hands full.

From incorrect scorecards to free drops to wrong drops, the Rules of Golf can get as much attention as a yardage book.

Arnold Palmer refers to a “little solemn damper” when he looks back on the first of his four Masters victories. He was involved in a ruling on the 12th green that led him to play two chip shots under Rule 3-3 because he felt he was right. And the rules committee eventually sided with him.

Vijay Singh once summoned an official to the 12th green to complain about the size of the spike marks that belonged to Phil Mickelson in 2005, and while the officials deemed Mickelson’s 8-millimeter spikes within the rules, the two champions exchanged words in the Champions Locker Room that day.

Even though Tiger Woods is not at the Masters this year, the sequence of his improper drop under Rule 26-1, two-shot penalty, “incorrect scorecard” and Saturday tee time are sure to be discussed.

Here are five notable rulings at the Masters:

5. PILED FOR REMOVAL: Ernie Els was in the mix at the Masters in 2004 when he hooked his tee shot on the 11th hole in the third round deep into the woods. He appeared to have no shot with all the branches and debris around the ball.

He called for a ruling to seek relief, believing the debris from a storm had been piled for removal. Jon Brendle from the PGA Tour denied his request. The best option appeared to be for Els to declare it unplayable and return to the tee for his third shot. Instead, he asked for a second opinion. Will Nicholson, chair of the rules committee, was summoned.

He declared it “piled for removal,” and Els was given free relief. He got out of the woods and reduced the damage to a bogey. Els eventually finished one shot behind when Phil Mickelson made birdie on the last hole.

4. PRACTICE PUTTING: Dow Finsterwald had finished the eighth hole of the second round in the 1960 Masters when he set his ball on the green for a practice putt. Billy Casper told him practice putting was not allowed.

Uh-oh.

Finsterwald told Casper he had taken practice putts in the first round. An official showed him the back of the scorecard that listed local rules, one of them banning practice on or near the putting green of the hole last played.

The committee decided to apply a two-shot penalty to his score in the first round, turning a 69 into a 71. Instead of being tied with Arnold Palmer, he was two shots behind. Finsterwald finished third, two shots behind Palmer.

3. TIGER’S DROP: Tiger Woods was poised to take the lead in the second round of the 2013 Masters when his wedge took dead aim for the flag on the par-5 15th. It was too perfect, striking the flagstick and bouncing back into the water, a terrible break. Woods chose to drop behind his previous spot, telling reporters later that he purposely dropped 2 yards farther back to avoid hitting the pin. He salvaged bogey.

A former rules official, David Eger, was watching the live broadcast and thought it was incorrect. Woods was required to drop it as near as possible to the spot where he last played, which was one of his options under Rule 26-1. He alerted officials at the course and based on their initial reaction the rules committee, no one talked to Woods before he signed for a 71.

Once it was reviewed, Woods was assessed the two-shot penalty and had a 73. Augusta National said it was a committee error for not stopping him to talk about the drop before he signed his card. Woods tied for fourth.

2. PALMER’S CHIP: Arnold Palmer hit his tee shot behind the green at the par-3 12th hole in the final round of the 1958 Masters. He felt his ball was embedded and that he was entitled to free relief. The rules official, Arthur Lacey, declined.

Palmer argued the point and said he would play two balls – the original, and one after taking relief. He made double bogey with embedded ball, returned to the spot and made par with the second ball. Three holes later, officials approached Palmer and said he was entitled to relief and that the par would count.

He went on to win his first Masters by one shot over Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins.

Even this week, Palmer said there was a “little solemn damper” over the ruling because playing partner Ken Venturi protested the way it was carried out.

1. A “STUPID” MISTAKE: A player who returns a score for any hole lower than actually taken is disqualified. If he returns a score for a hole higher than actually taken the score as returned stands. It was the latter that cost Roberto De Vicenzo a shot at winning the 1968 Masters.

He took a one-shot lead over Bob Goalby with a birdie on the 17th hole, but then the Argentine made bogey on the final hole to fall into a tie and set up a playoff. One problem. Tommy Aaron, who was keeping De Vicenzo’s card, put him down for a 4 on the 17th hole. De Vicenzo signed the card, and that’s when the error was discovered.

Under Rule 6-6d, he had to accept the par 4 instead of the birdie 3. His 65 became a 66. He finished one shot behind. Goalby was the Masters champion.

That led to De Vicenzo uttering perhaps the most famous comment regarding a ruling. “What a stupid I am.”

Dale Jackson

That most magnificent rite of the spring, the Masters Tournament is finally upon us. Given the winter Canada and the United States has suffered through, I’m sure it’s not a moment too soon for all golf fans.

Having said that, I write this from Augusta on the Monday prior to the tournament and it is absolutely pouring with rain and the course was forced to close due to lightning.  Not an auspicious start to the week but the forecast going forward looks good and hopefully by Sunday we will have a stirring finish in warmth and sunshine.

The Masters, as the saying goes, “is a tournament like no other” and that goes for us as rules officials too.  Augusta National offers officials from all over the world the opportunity to work on the Masters Rules Committee and I have the pleasure and honour of representing Golf Canada this year.  This is my second Masters so I am familiar with some of the traditions at the tournament and I am eagerly awaiting the start of the event.

This year, I look forward to renewing friendships with officials from all parts of the globe, Africa, Australia, Europe, Asia, South America and of course, the United States.  All the major professional tours are represented, as are all the main golfing countries in the world.  Collectively, there are hundreds, if not thousands of years of experience here this week and I am fortunate to be working with this incredibly talented group of people.

The week for us begins officially on Wednesday morning, when we attend the Rules Committee meeting.  It is there that the various rules details for the tournament are reviewed and assignments are given out.  Each day we are assigned a different hole at the championship, with a total of perhaps two to five officials on each hole.  Working with a team on each hole ensures players have ready access to an official if a ruling is required.

From a personal perspective, being positioned on one hole is a unique opportunity to really study Augusta National and to take in the nuances television cannot reveal.

I have always regarded the 13^th hole at Augusta National as one of the best holes in golf and I was fortunate to be assigned that hole on Friday of last year’s tournament. Having had the opportunity to spend a day there, I am now inclined to believe it might be among the greatest holes the game has to offer. Needless to say, I am looking forward to seeing which holes I will be assigned to this year.

With the large number of officials the golf course is very well covered, therefore, each of us will not handle too many rulings.  We are positioned well off the line of play, often just into the pines and out of sight unless needed.  The majority of rulings requested will be quite straightforward, usually assisting with relief options for a water hazard or perhaps relief from an immovable obstruction.  The officials representing the professional tours are always close by to assist with more complicated rulings, if required.

I am looking forward to the upcoming week as it promises to be filled with great golf played on a fantastic golf course and there will be opportunities to socialize with old and new friends.  Most of all, for me, it will be a privileged opportunity to represent Canada and to be just a small part of one of the greatest sporting events in world.

I hope everyone is able to take in some of the Masters and have the chance to turn your back on winter and face towards summer.

As the National Sport Organization and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada, in conjunction with the R&A and the United States Golf Association, announces the new revisions to the 2012-2013 edition of the Decisions on the Rules of Golf.

Golf Canada is proud to work closely with the R&A Rules Limited and the USGA, providing input on both the Rules of Golf and the Decisions on the Rules of Golf.

These two publications help make the game more understandable for players and officials alike. The Decisions are reviewed every two years and several changes have been announced for 2014/2015.

We examine a few of them below:

For more information on the Rules of Golf, please click here.

To ask a Rules of Golf question, please click here.

For more information on how to proceed in various Rules of Golf situations, guidance on the Golf Canada Handicap System and more, please consult our Rules of Golf publications – for purchase in Golf Canada’s eStore, or at your local book retailer.

During the opening-round of the 2014 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship, Matt Kuchar found himself in good position to close out his opponent, Bernd Wiesberger, on the 14^th hole. Kuchar dialed-in a 14-foot putt for what looked like the win (5&4) over Wiesberger, however some discussion ensued as to whether or not Kuchar had replaced his ball mark in the correct location.

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard outlines some of the commentary that occurred between each of the sides and their respective caddies here.

From the video below, you’ll see that following Kuchar holing out, a preceding highlight shows that he had originally marked the position of his ball in a different location as it would potentially interfere with Wiesberger’s next stroke.

Under Rule 20-1 (Lifting and Marking), Kuchar’s ball may be lifted and his ball-marker may be moved to further accommodate his opponent’s play.  However it must be replaced, with the process of marking reversed, before he plays his next stroke.

Upon realizing the error, it is clear that Kuchar has played from a wrong place.

In this situation Kuchar was proceeding under Rule 20-1 (Lifting and Marking), so application of the Rule and subsequent penalty falls under 20-1.

It is important to note that the last sentence under the Note to Rule 20-1 states in part that “… If the ball-marker interferes with the play, stance or stroke of another player, it should be place one or more clubhead-lengths to one side.”  In order to replace the ball when this has been done, the procedure must be reversed, as prescribed by Decision 20-1/16.

In the end, Kuchar found himself in a loss of hole situation as a result of an honest mistake.  The error in neglecting to replace his ball resulted in the match being extended to the 16^th hole, before Kuchar closed with a 3&2 win.

Since the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship kicked-off last week, Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) conducted a poll via Twitter and Facebook asking ‘What form of play do you prefer?’  Stroke Play was the leading favorite amongst those who participated when this blog was published.

What’s your favorite form of play? Have your say in our poll below.

Have a Rules of Golf question you want answered in a Rules & Rants Blog?  Let us know here.

For more information on the Rules of Golf, please click here.

To ask a Rules of Golf question, please click here.

For more information on how to proceed in various Rules of Golf situations, guidance on the Golf Canada Handicap System and more, please consult our Rules of Golf publications – for purchase in Golf Canada’s eStore, or at your local book retailer.

As the Chair of Golf Canada’s Rules of Golf Committee, I have the privilege of representing Golf Canada at several international tournaments each year.  This past week I was part of the Rules Committee at the PGA Tour’s Accenture Match Play Championship, held in Tucson, Arizona.

Except for the first round, when there are 32 matches, all other matches are accompanied by a walking referee.  We are assigned to a particular match and accompany the players throughout the round to assist them in interpreting and applying the golf’s rules.  While walking with a match is, in my opinion, the best way to see the highest of level of golf be played, it is frequently without incident.  The players often will play an entire match without needing the assistance of a referee.

Such was not the case during the third day of the championship when I was assigned to be the referee accompanying Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler.

The round started easily enough, Sergio and Fowler were clearly comfortable playing with one another and I was able to witness some first rate golf.  It all changed at the par three sixth hole when Garcia’s tee shot ended up very near a sprinkler head close to the green.  Because of the desert conditions found in the Tucson area, moisture is scarce and animals and insects are always eager to find a ready supply of water.  And so it was that, because this sprinkler head had a very small leak, a large number of bees, perhaps upwards of a hundred, had gathered to take advantage of their version of an oasis in the desert.

Sergio went to his ball, saw a number of bees buzzing about and called me over.  He explained he had had a very bad experience with bees in the past and wanted to know if he had to play his next shot with the bees flying around him.  Fortunately, the rules are not without heart and players are entitled to free relief when confronted with a “dangerous situation”.   In fact, Decision 1-4/10 deals with bees specifically and I was able to help Mr. Garcia determine the nearest point that the bees were not an issue and he dropped his ball within 1 club length of that spot, no nearer the hole.

However, probably because Sergio, his caddie and I had been waking in the area, the bees had become more active and had expanded the area they were occupying.  Sergio addressed his ball two or three times and then backed off, not confident the bee issue was resolved.  I felt the dangerous situation had now expanded to include the area where the first drop occurred and stepped in to indicate Sergio could take another drop, this time farther from the sprinkler head.  We determined a new nearest point of relief, Sergio dropped the ball within one club length of that spot and played his shot free the bee situation.

I was able to watch a replay of the incident later that night and enjoyed the light hearted banter the TV announcers had as all this was transpiring on the screen.

At the time of the ruling, I was not too worried about the bees, they appeared to be normal honey bees and, although probably capable of stinging, they did not seem aggressive.  Imagine my surprise when, in talking about the ruling with one of the tournament volunteers the next day, I was told that in all likelihood my innocent honey bees were a hybrid of a type of African bee that could be very aggressive and dangerous and, in fact, Sergio was most definitively faced with a dangerous situation.  In this case, the rules worked to the player’s advantage and helped him out of a sticky situation!

The match then moved onto the seventh hole.  Both players ended up fairly near the hole, with par putts, Sergio having a 6 foot putt and Rickie having about 17 feet.  Rickie had begun his pre-shot routine, and was crouched behind his ball when he and Sergio began talking.  The conversation seemed quite light hearted and the gallery chuckled at the enjoyment the players seemed to be taking in the situation.  I thought it quite odd that such a conversation was taking place after Rickie had begun his pre-shot routine.  The next thing the gallery and I saw, was both players picking up their ball markers and walking off the green.

One of the duties of a walking referee is to announce the results of the hole just completed and the status of the match.  In such cases I might announce, “Mr. Garcia makes 4, Mr. Fowler makes 4 and the match remains All Square.”  Such was my surprise at the seventh hole that I was unclear what had just transpired and the announcement was never made, I just walked behind the players over to the 8th tee, still working out what had happened and the status of the match.

It quickly became clear that both Sergio and Rickie had made use of Rule 2-4, which sets, in part, “A player may concede his opponent’s next stroke at any time, provided the opponent’s ball is at rest.”  In language most golfers are used to, they had agreed their putts were “good for good”.  It was a very unusual move by Sergio to concede Rickie’s lengthy putt but he stated afterword he felt the bee incident on the previous hole had not been fair to Rickie who had a makeable birdie putt that he missed.  The concessions by both players was sportsmanship of the highest level and it was consistent with how they conducted themselves throughout the match.  They were complementary of each other’s shots, seemed to enjoy each other’s company but played a hard fought and well played  match.

It was a pleasure to play a very small part in the match and to witness great play by great players.

In the final round of the 2014 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Kevin Stadler’s ball found its way into an interesting location – nestled into a tree, which lined the fairway on the par-5 18^th hole.

Stadler, recent champion of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, had his errant tee shot retrieved from the tree by Jordan Spieth’s caddie.  You can see from the video below that there is some debate as to who – or what – is in the tree.

Some of our inquisitive members inquired following the situation on Sunday afternoon as to why and how Stadler proceeded in the manner in which he did, by dropping the ball beneath the tree, which previously housed his ball.

This wasn’t the only recent misadventure Stadler had with his ball finding foliage on the golf course, as he made an unfortunate double-bogey last week before claiming the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Under Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable), Stadler was able to deem his ball unplayable and proceed as he did in the video above.  Rule 28 provides that the player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard.  The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.

If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke:

a) Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b) Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or

c) Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.

When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.

From the video, we can presume that Stadler invoked either option b or c from Rule 28 as outlined above.  Decision 28/11 provides guidance when a ball is unplayable in a tree and the player opts to take relief at the expense of a one-stroke penalty:

28/11            Ball Unplayable in Tree and Player Opts to Drop Within Two Club-Lengths

Q. A player’s ball is eight feet off the ground, lodged in a tree. The player deems the ball unplayable. May the player proceed under option c of Rule 28 which permits him to drop a ball within two club-lengths of where his ball lay unplayable?

A. Yes. The player would be entitled to drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point on the ground immediately below the place where the ball lay in the tree. In some instances this may allow the player to drop a ball on a putting green.

The caveat to the procedure noted above – and the reason for Speith’s caddie scaling the tree to retrieve Stadler’s ball – is that the player is required to find and identify his ball.  The necessity in finding and identifying the ball not only satisfies that the ball in the tree is in fact Stadler’s ball (allowing him to proceed under Rule 28b or c), but also provides a point of reference, as required, to proceed under Rule 28b or c.

For the second week in a row, we’ve seen how the world’s best golfers can use the Rules of Golf to their advantage and hopefully you can employ the use of Rule 28 correctly, if you find your ball in an unplayable position.

For more information on the Rules of Golf, please click here.

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For more information on how to proceed in various Rules of Golf situations, guidance on the Golf Canada Handicap System and more, please consult our Rules of Golf publications – for purchase in Golf Canada’s eStore, or at your local book retailer.

Bubba Watson held a two shot lead over Harris English on Saturday in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.  Known for his erratic tee shots but ability to scramble, Bubba found himself in a familiar situation on the 13th hole of TPC Scottsdale.

Bubba hit an errant tee shot into the desert where his ball found its way into a desert bush.  It appeared he only had two options, an extremely difficult punch out from the bush or taking an unplayable under Rule 28.  This situation was unique as Bubba found a way to use the rules to his advantage.  Bubba called over long time PGA TOUR rules official, John Brendel, to request relief from a burrowing animal hole.

The burrowing animal hole was situated such that it would interfere with the area of Bubba’s intended swing.  With Bubba’s ball lying close to the edge of a bush, John asked Bubba if he was going to have a shot.  It is crucial that Bubba is able to make a reasonable stroke at the ball in order to receive relief under Rule 25 (Abnormal Ground Conditions).  Under the exception in Rule 25-1 it states, “A Player may not take relief under this Rule if (a) interference by anything other than an abnormal ground condition makes the stroke clearly impracticable or (b) interference by an abnormal ground condition would occur only through use of a clearly unreasonable stoke or an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.”

As Bubba is a professional and accustomed to making incredible recovery shots, he was confident he could play the ball even though it was lying in the bush.  As such, John granted him relief from the burrowing animal hole and Bubba was able to get a free drop from the bush.  He then hit a wedge into the fairway where he was able to make par.

Knowing the rules played to Bubba’s advantage, saving him at least a stroke.

Watch Bubba’s ruling below:

If you would like to expand your rules base, you can begin your Rules of Golf Education anytime, beginning with our online curriculum; to start your Rules Education, click here.

As always, our ‘Ask an Expert’ tool can be utilized and accessed via our website, where we would be happy to answer your Rules-related inquiries.

Since 2006, committees have had the option of adopting a Local Rule under the Rules of Golf to allow players to use Distance Measuring Devices (DMD’s) that measure or gauge distance only. See note to Rule 14-3 of the Rules of Golf.

Since the introduction of the Note to Rule 14-3, the use of DMD’s has not been permitted at Golf Canada championships.  That decision has been ratified at the Rules Committee meeting held during the Golf Canada Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year and their use will again be on the agenda next month.

Golf Canada’s Rules Committee will meet in London, Ont. during the association’s AGM in early February, where they will discuss if DMD’s will be allowed at Golf Canada’s 2014 amateur events. The decision will be shared following the conclusion of that meeting.

Recently, the R&A’s Championship Committee has decided it will allow the use of distance measuring devices (DMDs) in R&A amateur events in 2014.

This Local Rule will be introduced for The R&A’s amateur events only.  It will not be introduced for The Open Championship or any qualifying event for The Open Championship.

For more information on the Rules of Golf, please click here.

To ask a Rules of Golf question, please click here.

For more information on how to proceed in various Rules of Golf situations, guidance on the Golf Canada Handicap System and more, please consult our Rules of Golf publications – for purchase in Golf Canada’s eStore, or at your local book retailer.