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The Vijay Infraction Finally Settled....

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Augster

Augster

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Mar 9, 2005
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Not so sure about your last statement Augster....about testing in the sand before re-dropping after going out of bounds....since the player knows he has to drop there, I would think it's illegal to test.

Rule 13-4 decision 37. Not familiar with that one? :D Here it is:


13-4/37 Ball Played from Bunker Is Out of Bounds or Lost; Player Tests Condition of Bunker or Smoothes Footprints Before Dropping Another Ball in Bunker
decision-line.gif

Q. A player plays from a bunker and his ball comes to rest out of bounds or is lost. He smoothes his footprints in the bunker at the place where he must drop a ball under Rule 27-1 or, before dropping a ball under Rule 27-1, he takes a few practice swings touching the sand in the bunker. Is the player in breach of Rule 13-4?
A. No. The prohibitions in Rule 13-4 apply only when the player’s ball is in the hazard or when it has been lifted from a hazard and may be dropped or placed in the hazard. In this case, the player’s ball has been played from the hazard rather than lifted.
Furthermore, Exception 2 under Rule 13-4 allows a player, after playing his ball out of a hazard, to smooth sand or soil in the hazard, without restriction. This right overrides any conflicting provisions in other Rules, including Rule 13-2.
 

P_102

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Jun 7, 2005
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Interesting. I can see the smoothing of the sand as being OK since he has to drop there but allowing the practice swings pretty much does away with the intent of the rule, especially since we've learned about the VJ thing...they're saying it's OK to test the sand of the bunker (in this case) the player is about to hit out of but not OK to test the sand if you're about to hit out of an entirely different bunker. It's very confusing to say the least.

P_102
 

Rockford35

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Aug 30, 2004
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P_102 said:
Interesting. I can see the smoothing of the sand as being OK since he has to drop there but allowing the practice swings pretty much does away with the intent of the rule, especially since we've learned about the VJ thing...they're saying it's OK to test the sand of the bunker (in this case) the player is about to hit out of but not OK to test the sand if you're about to hit out of an entirely different bunker. It's very confusing to say the least.

P_102


I take it like this:

He can take swings before the drop, as his ball isn't guranteed to stay in the trap after the drop (which of course it would, but it might not). So, until he's dropped his ball, his ball lies OB, and not in the hazard.

Should he take swings after the drop, then it's a penalty.

Sort of a run around, but that's what I take from it.

Who said golf was easy? :D

R35
 

bdcrowe

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Aug 30, 2004
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In my opinion, the word "the" as opposed to the word "a" makes the difference. It says "the hazard" as in the hazard the ball lies in, not "a hazard" as in "just in case the ball may rest in a hazard". Further, as already pointed out, did VJ know that the ball came to rest in a hazard? If not, how could he possibly be "testing the sand"? That will go back to intent.

This is all busche league anyway. It has been established already that the intent of this inquiry was to deface VJ Singh and seek his disqualification. That, IMHO, is worse than making contact with sand in a bunker.
 

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