“I should know better.” These were the words Lorena Ochoa said to the AP in her interview after the second round of the Ginn Open which was held recently. The incident she was referring to was a Rules violation that cost her a one stroke penalty — the margin which she would eventually lose by after an up and down week in her quest to become the number one female golfer in the world.
It all happened when Lorena hit a wayward tee shot on the par 5 third hole and upon arriving at her ball was amazed to find it tucked below a marshal’s chair. Lorena knew under the Rules of Golf she was allowed to remove the chair as it is by definition a moveable obstruction (Rule 24). Ochoa evaluated the situation and on a recommendation from fellow-competitor Britney Lincicome (the eventual champion) she marked her ball in case the subsequent movement of the chair also caused her ball to move. Lorena had proceeded correctly to this point but in a temporary lapse of judgment decided to pick up her ball prior to the removal of the chair. The lifting of the ball in this situation is not allowed under the Rules of Golf and she was assessed a one stroke penalty under Rule 18 (ball at rest moved) which then required her to replace the ball back to its original location.
Ochoa’s violation brings two Rules into play. The first is Rule 24-1 which covers moveable obstruction which are defined as man-made objects that can easily be moved without undue effort or delay. The second Rule is Rule 18-1 which covers a player’s ball at rest being moved himself or his side. The general rule of thumb is that the player will incur a one stroke penalty anytime he causes his ball at rest to move unless it falls under one of the seven exceptions to Rule 18. When a player’s ball at rest is moved the Rules require the ball to be replaced in its original location, failure to do so will result in an additional penalty stroke for a total of two.
The correct procedure for a player in a situation similar to Lorena Ochoa’s would be to first mark the position of the ball if they believe the removal of the obstruction will cause their ball to move. The player may then remove the obstruction and if the ball moves as a direct result of this action there is no penalty and the ball must simply be replaced to its original position.
In the end Lorena Ochoa’s failure to apply the Rules correctly potentially cost her another LPGA tour victory, $160,000, and a chance to top Annika as the number one player in the world.
IT PAYS TO KNOW THE RULES!
