Episode 43 - Hear me, but you can’t see me  

The livestream got off to a bang, because I forgot to turn the livestreaming on, so there is no video, only audio.  

GRQOTW 42 - Are you permitted free relief from a dot of paint that is marking a yardage on the fairway? 

Answer - These are artificial objects, however they are not obstructions. So there is no free relief UNLESS the Committee declares them to be ground under repair - Local Rule F-21.  

Thank you everyone for the well wishes since hearing that I have left Golf Australia. It was time to move on and find new challenges. As well as not being hamstrung in the Rules of Golf content and projects that I have put out. This includes being able to go out to golf clubs in Australia to run Rules workshops. If you are interested or know of a club that would like a Rules of Golf workshop, please reach out to me. I can even do one online, but certainly everyone learns more in person.  

Now back to catching up on rulings:  Jason Dufner Duffs his Putt This was a PGA Tour archive video of Jason Dufner & Dustin Johnson playing in a four-ball tournament. As Dufner was setting up to putt, his putter slipped off the grass and into the ball, back then theis incurred a penalty of one stroke. But now there would be no penalty under Rule 9.4, because Dufner’s ball was on the green.  

Jon Rahm’s Ball Moved Jon Rahm’s ball moved on the green at The Open Championship. Unlike Dufner’s situation, Rahm’s ball was moved by the wind. Now usually you would play the ball as it lies when it has been moved by wind, but under Rule 13.1d, because Rahm had already lifted and replaced his ball. Of course marking it first. He was required to move it back. If he had not lifted and replaced it, he would just play it as it lies.  

Rory McIlroy at The Open Championship hit his ball next to a massive television. This TV was of course showing the leaderboard and video footage of players out on the course. Because Rory had interference to both his line of play and line of sight from the TV, he was permitted to take free relief. His ball was in the general area, so the relief area had to be in the general area. Not a common Local Rule in club land, but certainly on every PGA Tour, LPGA, and European Tour event there are Temporary Immovable Obstructions.  

IVORs Two massive IVORs last week. G-9 not D-7 was the correct Local Rule for Bubba being permitted to replace his club. And the Dunes was designed by Tony Cashmore not Tom Doak.  

GRQOTW43 - In agreement a player and their opponent stop their match due to the weather conditions. They agree to return the next day and start at 8am. Firstly, is this permissible for a player and opponent to agree to suspend their match, AND Secondly, when they come back, do they start from where they left off or from their first hole with the score being square?