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Rules of the Game
Golf as a contact sport
By Troy Andrew, PNGA Senior Director of Rules & Competition
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| © Charles Crombie/courtesy USGA Archives |
We have all either heard the sound echo across the course, or have had to be the one to scream ... FORE!!
This most likely means you have not hit a very good shot, but further more, what happens as a result of actually hitting someone on the golf course?
First and foremost, we hope no one is seriously injured. But depending on what and who was hit, there may or may not be a penalty involved.
In the 2001 Bay Hill Invitational, I can remember witnessing one of the most favorable bounces I have seen in golf, which led Tiger Woods to victory over Phil Mickelson by a stroke. On the 18th hole, Woods put a nasty hook on his tee shot and the ball was heading out of bounds until a spectator reached out and deflected the ball to keep it from going out of bounds.
As Rule 19 states, this is "rub of the green," because spectators are outside agencies. The Rules of Golf define an outside agency as an agency not part of the match or, in stroke play, not part of the competitor's side, and includes referee, a marker, an observer and a forecaddie. Although I thought Woods got a lucky break, he still had to play off a dirt road, carry 180 yards to a green surrounded by water and make birdie. Of course, he put it within five feet and made his birdie to win.
In the Rules of Golf from 1899-1902, as illustrated above, Rule 19 was Rule 23. Also, contrary to the Rule statement in the cartoon, the player may still lose ye caddie, but ye opponent does not lose the hole anymore. This is specifically referring to Rule 19-3 "By Opponent, Caddie or Equipment in Match Play."
It doesn't happen very often, but when it does the Rules of Golf give the player two choices in Match Play. The player may cancel the stroke and play a ball without penalty as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played or play the ball as it lies. So, depending on the outcome of your golf ball after hitting your opponent, his caddie or his equipment, you can make the most favorable choice for the outcome of the hole. This does not apply in stroke play.
Remember, by the definition of outside agency, a fellow competitor would be an outside agency, therefore the player plays the ball as it lies, rub of the green.
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