[Golf Rules... Knowledge Is Power] If the Ball Is on a Tree Root
by Roh Woolae
Published 29 Oct.2024 08:00(KST)
Shopli Jojo Championship 1R Hole 9 Mistake Situation
Gave up swinging three times trying to forcibly retrieve the ball
Declared unplayable, received 1 penalty stroke and continued play
Golf has no referees. It is a "gentleman's sport" where golfers play by following the rules themselves. The golf rules are "assistants" created to help with play. If well understood and properly applied, they can greatly aid in score management. These are golf rules that weekend golfers must know.
The world number 2 produced a rare scene. The protagonist was Xander Schauffele (USA). On the 9th hole (par 4, 504 yards) of the first round of the Zozo Championship (total prize money $8.5 million) held on the 24th at Narashino Country Club (par 70, 7,079 yards) in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, an "incident" occurred.
Schauffele had maintained par through the first eight holes, but his tee shot on the 9th hole hooked to the left. The problem was that the ball got stuck between the thick roots of a pine tree. Schauffele's caddie advised, "It's difficult to continue the play." However, Schauffele insisted on playing through this trouble. He seemed to hope that the ball he hit would bounce off the tree trunk and move backward, but reality was different.
Schauffele attempted to swing twice, but the ball barely moved, and after trying a third swing, he eventually gave up. He took a one-stroke penalty and got the ball onto the fairway on the fifth stroke, collapsing with a quadruple bogey of "6 on 2 putts." Schauffele bowed his head, saying, "I was foolish. I was stubborn." Schauffele is the major champion who won this year's PGA Championship and The Open. He is a strong player with nine PGA Tour wins in total.
If the ball gets stuck between tree roots like Schauffele's, one must make a calm judgment. Even tour players find this situation difficult to handle. If it is hard to retrieve the ball, declare it "unplayable" and take a one-stroke penalty. Forcing play can lead to club damage as well as risks of injury to the wrist and other areas. Schauffele had the highest world ranking among the 78 players participating in this tournament. He was a strong favorite to win but struggled with a 3-over-par 73 on the first day and ultimately finished tied for 41st place (5-under-par 275) in the tournament.
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