Promontory Rules!

What is the Ruling?

The Situation (Stroke Play): Mr. Smith is playing a local qualifier and has hit his approach shot into the green on a par 4 where the ball comes to rest half way into the hole resting against the flagstick.  Half of the ball is hovering above the rim of the hole.  Mr. Smith walks up to the hole and picks his ball out of the hole believing he has holed out with his approach shot giving him an Eagle (2) for the hole.  The fellow competitors each hole out their putts and the group makes their way to the next teeing ground.  Before Mr. Smith hits his tee shot on the next hole his caddy informs him he may have violated a rule.

In this circumstance, do you know what the procedure is to rectify the situation?

The Rules of Golf state (Rule 3-2. Failure to hole out.) that: “If a competitor fails to hole out at any hole and does not correct his mistake before he makes a stroke on the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole of the round, before he leaves the putting green, he is disqualified.”

In the case with Mr. Smith, because his caddy informed him before he tee’d off on the next hole, Mr. Smith can without penalty place his ball on the lip of the cup, remove the flagstick and hole out his putt. He would correct his card to read that he indeed got a Birdie (3) for the hole.  If Mr. Smith would have made a stroke on the following tee before correcting his error, he would have been disqualified from the tournament.  Note:  If Mr. Smith would have removed the flagstick and upon doing so the ball fell completely into the hole, he would have under the Rules of Golf holed out with his approach shot giving him an Eagle (2).

If you have questions regarding the “Rules of Golf” contact one of the professional staff in the golf shop or email mgarrison@promontoryclub.com