Over a period of time many golfers develop some sound and some unsound swing techniques.Their coaches have to work hard in the range to see that they retain the best techniques and unlearn the worst ones. Similarly, the players also, in their minds, retain some strange notions of Rules and interpretations.If left without correction,when they breach certain rules inadvertently,they pay a heavy price for it.
Saeed Saquib, the budding junior star from Bangalore learnt a valuable lesson in the Northern Junior Golf tournament in Panchkula.Saeeqib, the third round leader, lost his momentum in the final round and trailing the eventual winner Tarundeep Chada by 3 strokes after 16th.On the par 3, 17th, his tee shot fell short of the green, created a pitch mark and rolled back a feet.He strode to the ball, saw his pitch mark on his line of play, perfunctorily informed Chada, his marker, that he is repairing the pitch mark and proceeded to do so, before I could intervene..
I was shocked by Saquibs action and penalized him 2 strokes under R 13-2 for improving his line of play. Saquib was under the impression that he was entitled to repair any pitch mark through the green. This was a total misconception as Rule 16-1c as it allows repair of pitch mark on the Putting Green only, even if the ball
lies outside the Green. Saquib misconstrued this rule to have a license to repair the pitch mark, even if the pitch mark is on his line of play through the Green.This error cost him the runner up position which went to his friend Rahul Ravi.
However, decision 13-2/8 lays down one exception. If after the players ball comes to rest and some other ball from a fellow competitor or any other player, creates a pitch mark, affecting his line of lie/line of play/stance, in equity(R 1-4), the player can repair this pitch mark. The principle that a player is entitled to the original lie/line of play/stance when his ball is at rest is illustrated in many other decisions.
