Hello again

I just got done with a 36-hole club tournament on saturday and sunday. On Saturday, the 1st round, I was paired with a guy who on the 7th hole played his ball that was lieing out of bounds, aka a wrong ball. He holed out with the wrong ball. The rules require you to correct your error before playing from the next teeing ground or else you`re disqualified. He teed up a ball that was just outside the 8th teeing ground and played it. He was then advised of his wrong ball error and we all thought he was disqualified. But a rules offficial said that there was no disqualification because he had not played from the 8th teeing ground, he had played outside of it.
He went back to 7 and corrected his error, incurring a 2-shot penalty for the wron ball and 2 more for playing outside the teeing ground. He went on to win the tournament by 2 after eagleing the 36th hole but I think he should have been disqualified.

This is actually a good question, but I had to read your description a couple of times before I fully understood what occurred.

My understanding is....guy hits his shot OOB. One of two things occurred here. He either hit the ball from outside of the white stakes or he hit the wrong ball. Heck, he could have done both, but unless he finds his ball inside of the white stakes, he needs to go back and rehit that shot.

After holing out, he teed up outside of the teeing ground. The rules official deemed that he had not begun the next hole yet at that point because he was not in the teeing ground, so he was allowed to go back and replay the previous hole. He was assessed two strokes for playing the wrong ball and two strokes for taking a practice shot (i.e. hitting his first shot from the next hole from outside of the teeing ground). I also assume he was assessed stroke and distance for hitting into the white stakes.

That's five penalty strokes plus distance. Sounds fair to me, but I"m not 100% certain I have the rule right either.

A ball played from outside the teeing ground does not count (see also decision 11-4b/6) but it is a 2-stroke penalty. That ball however is not in play, which is crucial to the rest of the case.

Now, the ball that was out of bounds obviously should not have been played. That is a 2-stroke penalty as per 27-1b since he broke that rule (not exactly the same as playing a "wrong ball"!). On top of that, 1 more stroke plus distance since it's out of bounds.

So, even though I disagree with Bryan on the cause of the 2 stroke penalty, the net result would be the same: 5 + distance. If I read the original posting correctly, this is in line with what happened.

player wrote:

He went back to 7 and corrected his error, incurring a 2-shot penalty for the wrong ball and 2 more for playing outside the teeing ground. He went on to win the tournament by 2 after eagling the 36th hole but I think he should have been disqualified.

Wow, you guys in FL have some interesting situations arise. Two major rules violations in less than 2 holes. That must have been fun for everyone waiting around for this other player to go back and correct his error.

I am trying to picture what sort of golfer can eagle the finishing hole of a 36 hole tournament yet have virtually -0- knowledge of the Rules of Golf. Yep, sounds like a junior tournament.

jev wrote:

A ball played from outside the teeing ground does not count (see also decision 11-4b/6) but it is a 2-stroke penalty. That ball however is not in play, which is crucial to the rest of the case. Now, the ball that was out of bounds obviously should not have been played. That is a 2-stroke penalty as per 27-1b since he broke that rule (not exactly the same as playing a "wrong ball"!). On top of that, 1 more stroke plus distance since it's out of bounds. So, even though I disagree with Bryan on the cause of the 2 stroke penalty, the net result would be the same: 5 + distance. If I read the original posting correctly, this is in line with what happened.

I don't necessarily think we're in disagreement. I just didn't know what to call the illegal stroke made from outside of the teeing ground on the next hole. If you think about it, there are two different reasons why that stroke is illegal. One...because it was made outside of the teeing ground and two because it was made before the legal completion of the previous hole.

How old was the fellow in question?

probably in his 30s merlin

player wrote:

probably in his 30s merlin

What was the name of the tournament and where was it played? How did you do? Are the results posted online anywhere?

Now that I think about this case again I'ld prolly penalize him 3 shots + distance.

The reason is simple: scores made after hitting the OB ball do not count. That includes penalties. You wouldn't add a water-hazard penalty to the score if that was made after hitting the OB ball either, would ya?

jev wrote:

Now that I think about this case again I'ld prolly penalize him 3 shots + distance. The reason is simple: scores made after hitting the OB ball do not count. That includes penalties. You wouldn't add a water-hazard penalty to the score if that was made after hitting the OB ball either, would ya?

This is a good point. Let me ask you this. Would you penalize the player additionally for hitting a range ball back into the range in the midst of all of this happening?

Your more versed on the rules than I, but I interpreted the hitting of the tee shot on the next hole from outside of the teeing ground as being the same kind of shot as one taken when a player hits a driving range ball back onto the range. I called it a practice stroke for lack of a better term. But my interpretation of the rules is that since that stroke didn't count as the beginning of a new hole, it had to count for something.

Good point but the penalty for playing outside the box counted. I finished 3rd in the tourney.

player wrote:

Good point but the penalty for playing outside the box counted. I finished 3rd in the tourney.

Congratualtions on the 3rd place finish. What was the name of the tournament? Where was it played? Are the results posted online anywhere?

player wrote:

Good point but the penalty for playing outside the box counted. I finished 3rd in the tourney.

In that case, he should not have been sent back and replay from the correct spot.

The tourney was played at remmington golf course, the guy hit a tee shot on 7 into someone`s yard, out of bounds and he played it from there. 2 shot penalty for hittingwrong ball and another 2 shot penalty for hitting it out of bounds. He shot a 9 on 7 but saved a bogey on 8, after another 2-shot penalty for hitting it outside the teeing groun.

player wrote:

The tourney was played at remmington golf course, the guy hit a tee shot on 7 into someone`s yard, out of bounds and he played it from there. 2 shot penalty for hittingwrong ball and another 2 shot penalty for hitting it out of bounds. He shot a 9 on 7 but saved a bogey on 8, after another 2-shot penalty for hitting it outside the teeing groun.

What was the tournament name? Are the results available online?