At the U.S. Junior Amateur, our intrepid player appeared at the par 5 first hole at Shoal Creek with hope in his heart and a putter in his hand. His caddie and his bag were nowhere in sight. When his tee time arrived the starter inquired “Mr. Player, are you ready to proceed?” Still no caddie. The player looked sadly at the putter in his hand and replied “No sir.” The caddie appeared shortly and the player’s round got underway with two strokes tacked on to his first hole score. Could this have ended differently? Stay tuned.
On at least two occasions during the stroke play qualifying rounds at Shoal Creek, players got two-stroke penalties because their caddie stood on an extension of the line of play or line of putt behind the ball while the player made a stroke, violating Rule 14-2b.
At Murphy Creek, during the US Amateur Public Links, a caddie casually smoothed a mark made by a rake handle in the bunker before his player played a stroke from that bunker. The player lost the hole on a Rule 13-4 breach and lost the match by one hole.
In the U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifier at Colorado Golf Club, things got even more interesting. The caddie had gone forward while the players hit their tee shots and upon discovering his player’s ball in a fried-egg lie in a greenside bunker, he lifted the ball from its perilous position and deposited it gently on the soft green grass. His actions were concealed from the view of all of the people in that grouping, but did not escape the notice of a sharp-eyed Rules Official. The lie in the bunker was recreated, the ball replaced in it and the player got one stroke under Rule 18-2. The caddie’s resume looks like an IED went off on it.
Rule 6-1 says “The player and his caddie are responsible for knowing the Rules. During a stipulated round, for any breach of a Rule by his caddie, the player incurs the applicable penalty.” A caddie is much, much more than a packhorse for your clubs. His assistance can be invaluable in many different ways, from course knowledge to moral support. It is fun to walk with a good friend or family member by your side, but, it is really important that you select a caddie who understands the Rules and doesn’t add strokes to your score.
Now, back to number one at Shoal Creek. Could our player have replied to the starter’s inquiry with “You bet I’m ready! I’m gonna’ hit this Ping Anser 300 yards!” After all, even if he can’t hit it past the ladies’ tee with this stick, it’s better than having two strokes on the card before his first swing. Not so fast says John Morrissett of the USGA Rules Committee. Decision 6-3a/2 makes it clear that a player must be present and ready to play at the time established by the Committee. While the Rules Committee wouldn’t dream of trying to dictate what club you use where, it might be hard to say you are ready to play a par 5 driving with your putter unless you employ that same strategy on a couple of other par 5’s and one or two long par 4’s during the round. Nice try, though.
