There are certain times that the Rules of Golf require the same care and respect as entering a museum full of ancient artifacts. If a museum curator were marking a golf course he might place a velvet-rope in front of all water hazards and bunkers with the warning, “Please Don’t Touch.”
This course marking would have been very appropriate and most helpful in this week’s U.S. Open Local Qualifying at Colorado Golf Club. On the par-five first hole, a player’s tee shot came to rest in a fairway bunker to the right of the fairway. Complicating matters was the fact that a player in the previous group had played a stroke from behind the bunker and, in the process, removed a large piece of sage that came to rest in the bunker. The player’s ball was right in front of this loose impediment which would likely interfere with the player’s backswing. The official rightly informed the player that he was not permitted to remove the impediment, and, just as important, he was not allowed to touch the impediment with his club during his backswing.
Most players understand that you are not allowed to move a loose impediment from a bunker when your ball lies in or touches the same hazard. Most players, however, do not understand that Rule 13-4 also prevents the player from touching the impediment prior to making a stroke at the ball in this situation. In other words, the slightest touch of club and impediment would result in a two-stroke penalty in stroke play or loss of hole in match play””just ask Michelle Wie who was penalized last year on the LPGA Tour for grazing a piece of loose moss in a bunker on her backswing. Just to be clear, once the player begins their stroke (the downward motion at the ball) they are obviously permitted to strike the impediment, as well as the ground in the hazard. The intent of this rule is to prohibit the player from taking action that could test the condition of the hazard.
This Rule (13-4) is related to, but a bit different from Rule 13-2 which restricts the player from taking actions which might improve his area of intended swing. For example, if a player’s ball is under a tree the player may strike (and even break) a branch that interferes with his backswing provided he does so in making a stroke””in other words, provided he doesn’t discontinue his swing. While these two rules situations fall under the same Rule (13) and the same principal””play the ball as it lies and the course as you find it””it is important to understand that they are not identical. In one situation contact on the backswing with the natural object results is an automatic penalty, in the other, there is only a penalty if the contact results in an improvement to the area of swing, and if the player discontinues his swing.
Just another example of how the Rules sometimes are as delicate as fine china!
