Written by: Darin Green, Senior Director of Rules & Competitions
Last Friday I was enjoying watching the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship when they cut to Phil Mickelson on the 17th hole and I started yelling at the TV for Phil to call for a Rules Official. Phil was tied for the lead when the broadcast cut to Phil, his ball was lying on the left edge of the cart path and he was trying to determine what to do. Just left of the cart path there was a steep slope with long grass that had a white line painted around it which tied it into the cart path (see diagram).
It appeared Phil was thinking of playing off of the cart path because he did not want to drop on the steep slope within the white line. As I watching Phil ponder his options, I knew that the PGA Tour has a Local Rule in effect that makes the ground under repair area that same status as the cart path because they are tied together by the white line. The Local Rule making the cart path and ground under repair area the same status means that if Phil takes relief he must take complete relief from the cart path and grassy area encircled by a white line. Since Phil is left-handed, I could tell that his nearest point of complete relief would be right of the cart path on a nice flat lie. Luckily for Phil’s sake, he called for a Rules Official and the Official correctly determined that Phil must drop right of the path. Phil ended up with a great lie and easily found the green with his shot, he made par and retained the lead.
The FSGA has the same Local Rule in effect at all FSGA competitions (see text in italics below).
Obstructions:
1. White lined areas of ground under repair tying into immovable obstructions are treated as a single obstruction.
If this Local Rule is not in effect, then a player could easily get in a situation where they “ping pong” back and forth into each area. For example, IF the Local Rule was NOT in effect, then Phil might have taken relief from the cart path and dropped in the ground under repair; then he could take relief from the ground under repair and his drop might have been back on the cart path, and so on.
The Rules of Golf can be very tricky, make sure you know what Local Rules are in effect.
Stay safe.
Full Video of the Ruling
