Southern Hills Par-3 6th Again at Center of Rules Controversy

TULSA, OK – When they shaved the bank between the green and the edge of the water hazard to bring the hazard into play, little did the powers that be realize how much havoc the hole would wreak on the field.

Corey Pavin incurred a rare three-stroke penalty because of the change. Pavin his his tee shot into the greenside bunker. Before he played his shot, his caddie grabbed a rake and placed it on the bank about the water hazard, well left of the bunker and seemingly miles away from where the shot would be played.

Pavin misplayed the bunker shot, hitting it well short. The ball turned hard off the slope of the hill and rolled down the slope towards the water. Fearing the ball would strike the rake and incur a two-stroke penalty, the caddie grabbed the rake while the ball was in motion, allowing the ball to roll into the hazard.

Sadly, the obscure rule 24-1 states that: “When a ball is in motion, an obstruction that might influence the movement of the ball, other than an attended flagstick or equipment of a player must not be removed.” The rake is a moveable obstruction and not equipment. Lifting the rake caused a two stroke penalty. Since the ball went in the water, Pavin was also assessed a one stroke penalty for hitting into the hazard. He ended the hole with an eight.

On the same hole, Tim Herron also struck a rake which stopped his ball from entering the water hazard. He had hit his original ball in the hazard, then – playing from the drop area went over the green. He was hitting four when his shot struck the rake. When he removed the rake, the ball rolled into the hazard. He was allowed to replace with no penalty (Rule 24-1a). When he replaced, two attempts also rolled into the hazard. He was granted relief ten inches away without penalty and played to the green. After a two-putt, he carded a seven.

The sixth also wreaked havoc on Angel Cabrera during round one. Although the hedge over the green is not marked with the customary white stakes, “the hedge is out of bounds and the area is marked as such” explained Bob Denny of the PGA of America. “The hedge is the outer boundary of the golf course” he explained. Cabrera disagreed because the he thought the ball was within the course and because there were no stakes, but lost all appeals. After hitting a second ball out of bounds and a third in the water, Cabrera ended the hole with a 7-over 10.

While it’s admirable to have water finally come into play, it may be too much when bunker shots roll all over creation before turning strange directions and running a long way into the water. As we saw at 18 at Carnoustie, it’s one thing to have a well protected green, but do we really need water, sand AND out of bounds? Yet, what can we do if he hedge is a necessary out-of-bounds as the border of the property?