All sorts of things can happen in golf, and the Rules must cover the most bizarre scenarios.
The situation in this headline is something that you might not think possible to happen. But it has done. In fact, I’ve witnessed it happen and I very much doubt it’s the only time in golf’s history it has occurred.
Playing in Spain a few years ago, on the Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya, now called Camiral, my playing partner teed off on the par-3 5th and hit what looked a good shot destined to cling on to the left side of the green.
As the ball was coming towards the end of its flight, a bird took off from the lake on that left side. It flew straight into the path of my pal’s ball and was struck.
I’m not sure what type of bird it was but it was clearly a hardy sort as it didn’t seem remotely perturbed. It carried on, only a little ruffled. My friend’s ball however did not get off so lightly. It was deflected, possibly caught by a wing stroke, and headed left – straight into the lake. We saw the agonising splash.
It was bad luck as it looked like he’d be putting for birdie. “Surely I get to play that again!” He pleaded, after we’d all had a bit of a laugh at the unusual incident.
You might think so. But no. Unfortunately for him that’s not what the Rules of golf say.
Rule 11 covers what happens when the ball in motion accidentally hits person, animal or object.
OK, his ball had accidentally hit an animal… tick…
Now, reading on, Rule 11.1b(1) tells you what to do if you’ve hit an animal with a shot from anywhere except the putting green.
It says that you must play the ball as it lies. In some cases, the bird strike might have sent my pal’s ball closer to the hole and that would have been a good break. In this instance, the break was not good and his ball ended in a penalty area.
Bad luck indeed, and the only course of action was to follow the Rules for a ball that has ended in a penalty area, covered in Rule 17.
This was a red penalty area, so my friend had four options. Number 1, he could try to play it. That wasn’t really on though. He would have needed scuba gear to get to it.
He had then, three options left, all under penalty of one stroke. Firstly, he could play again from the tee under stroke and distance – playing three from where he hit the original shot.
Secondly, he could take back on the line relief, keeping the spot the ball crossed into the penalty area in a straight line between the hole and where the ball was to be dropped. That was going to take him off into the woods, so not that appealing.
He decided to take Option 3. A lateral two-club length drop from a reference point where the ball crossed into the penalty area, dropping no nearer the hole than the reference point.
If it had been a yellow penalty area, he would have only had the stroke and distance and back on the line penalty relief options. The lateral drop is for red penalty areas only.
If, in some extremely strange circumstance, a player hit a putt from the putting green that struck a bird and was deviated into a pond, they would be able to play again from the spot the stroke was made with no penalty.
In fact, they would have to play again from the same spot, or they would face the general penalty.
Other than shots played from the putting green, if a ball you’ve hit strikes a bird, you must play it from where it ends up. If it finishes in a pond, that’s simply bad luck and you must accept your punishment. The golfing gods are against you!
