The skill set to play golf is a unique compilation of talents and abilities that is constantly being developed or adjusted every time we tee it up. Sergio Garcia, during the final round of the Bay Hill Invitational, demonstrated that this skill set sometimes includes tree climbing and one-handed-reversed-clubhead-backward shots as well!
On the 10th hole Sergio found himself up a tree, literally. The spectators never saw the ball land on the ground and when he arrived a search began. Thinking his ball may be up in the tree Sergio climbed up into the tree to try and find his ball, which he successfully did. It was tucked nicely at the bottom of a “U” that was formed by two tree branches. At this point Sergio had two options, he could play the ball as it lies from within the tree, or declare his ball unplayable choosing from any of the three options under Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable) incurring a one-stroke penalty.
These options are:
a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5), or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped, or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole. (Note: Had Sergio declared his ball unplayable and chosen this option, he would have estimated a spot on the ground directly below where his ball lay and used this as his reference point for dropping within two club-lengths.)
Much to the pleasure of the crowd, Sergio decided to play his ball as it lies from within the tree. He turned his back to the target and struck the ball one-handed with the club head reversed, miraculously getting it back into the fairway.
Most of us do have the skill set to hit our golf ball into a tree, but hitting it back out within the Rules is another story. We would be better off knowing the three options under Rule 28 and leaving the heroic tree climbing to the tour pros and firefighters!
