The British Open always serves as a costly reminder of why Bunkers are actually members of the Hazard Species (scientifically named Hazardous Bunkerinlyus) Players have to negotiate steep riveted bunker faces, awkward stances, and buried lies. Just ask Tiger Woods.
On the par-4 sixth hole, Tiger hit his second shot in a greenside bunker. Unfortunately, his ball buried in the sand directly in front of one of those steep bunker faces. He contemplated a wide variety of options including playing the ball sideways or backwards, declaring it unplayable or just attempting to hit it. During the broadcast, analyst Paul Azinger suggested that he declare the ball unplayable and drop the ball outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay between him and the hole. Unfortunately for Tiger, Paul’s solution is not an option offered by the Rules of Golf.
According to the Rules, a player may deem his ball is unplayable in a bunker and take relief under Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable). The ball must be dropped in the bunker with one exception. The procedure to drop outside of the bunker is option A in this Rule, which allows a player to drop a ball on the point where the previous stroke was last made (often called stroke and distance). If a player were to select one of the other two options under Rule 28, he would have to drop the ball in the bunker. These two options are: B) drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point between himself and the hole, and C) drop a ball within two club-lengths of where the ball lay, but not nearer to the hole. All of the options in Rule 28 carry a one-stroke penalty.
Tiger went with the more aggressive play, attempting to play towards the hole, rather than sideways to get out of the bunker. His shot ricocheted off of the riveted bunker face and bounced backwards, nearly hitting him. This put him in a position where he couldn’t even take a stance in the bunker to play his next stroke. Yet somehow, like only Tiger can, he managed to miraculously hit the ball out of the bunker. Unfortunately, he still went on to make a triple bogey and miss another “major” opportunity.
Why did Tiger choose the aggressive option? If he had dropped in the bunker, his ball most likely would have buried in the soft sand not giving him a much better shot, and stroke and distance would have put him well over 200 yards away.
Remember these options the next time you face a bunker shot like Tiger did. The one- stroke penalty that comes with them may very well save you strokes in the long run and keep your pants cleaner!
