The 2011 U.S. Women’s Open should have been called the “Suspension of Play Championship.” With the exception of the three-hole playoff, every round of the tournament was suspended due to inclement weather. Suspensions of play are hard on everyone, not just the players. The spectators certainly don’t enjoy huddling under roof overhangs. The shuttle bus drivers don’t enjoy being yelled at by frustrated players and caddies. And the Rules Officials don’t enjoy the many challenges that come along with stoppages in play.
During the championship I was fortunate enough (not!) to get to deal with these suspensions as a walking Rules Official. During the first round the group I was with got to the green on their final hole (#9) and were two putts away from finishing before play was suspended. After the horn blew to signal the suspension the players asked if they could “tap in” the last putts. The answer is no. When play has been suspended due to a dangerous situation (lightning) the players have no option but to mark and lift their balls and seek shelter. The Rule is different if play is suspended due to darkness, fog or some other non-dangerous situation. When the horn has been sounded to indicate a stoppage in a non-dangerous situation the players have the option of completing play on the hole they are on or stopping play immediately.
During the second round of the tournament an additional challenge was presented. On the sixth hole Laura Davies and So Yeon Ryu (the eventual champion of the event) hit their tee shots when play was suspended. The third player in the group (Sophie Gustafson) had not yet teed off. While Gustafson headed for shelter Davies and Ryu proceeded down the sixth fairway to mark their golf balls. Davies’ ball had come to rest immediately next to the cart path right of the hole and while we were walking to the balls a spectator reached down and picked up Davies’ ball. A marshal on the hole yelled at the spectator who immediately dropped the ball and slunk away in embarrassment. When we arrived at the ball we asked the marshal how far the ball had been moved by the spectator and he said she picked up the ball and immediately dropped it essentially on the same spot.
Since the ball was moved by an outside agency (the spectator), Rule 18 requires the player to replace the ball on the spot where it was lifted. In this case that spot was impossible to determine so Rule 20-3c takes over and specifies that the player must drop the ball at the estimated spot where it was lifted. Complicating matters in this particular case was the fact that the ball was lifted after play had already been suspended. An interesting little twist that would require a bit of research! Fortunately for me, I had plenty of time to get the answer. During the one-hour delay I got out my handy Rule Book and looked up Rule 20-3c and got the answer. The exception to that rule states: “When resuming play (Rule 6-8d), if the spot where the ball is to be placed is impossible to determine, it must be estimated and the ball placed on the estimated spot.”
The situation was a bit odd but highlights the great work that is done by the Rules of Golf Committee. Despite the seemingly unusual nature of this situation the answer to my question was right there in the Rule book. Nothing like having an hour and a good book to make the right call!
