RulesRules corner:Rules corner: InRules corner: In defence of Pettersen
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The dust is still settling after a big weekend of golf!
We saw the lovable Jason Day become World No. 1 at the BMW Championship, while Suzann Pettersen, a former World No. 1 in the women’s game, became the villain at the Solheim Cup over a conceded putt controversy.
When it comes to matchplay, both Day and Pettersen share the same competitive attitude about concessions.
As the 2014 World Matchplay Champion, Day made no apologies for his refusal to grant even the shortest of putts.
“If you’re so angry about having to hole out from one foot, two foot or three foot, you should just go out there and knock it in. Easy,” Day said.
After putting to approximately 45cm, American youngster Alison Lee was confused when members of the European team started walking away and she allegedly heard someone say the hole was conceded.
Lee mistakenly picked up her ball and Pettersen pounced, stating that the hole was never verbally conceded, leaving the rules official with no choice but to award the hole to the Europeans.
This resulted in tears from both sides, and calls that Europe’s likely win in the event would be “tainted”.
The BBC’s Ian Carter put it best: "The putt was only eighteen inches and Europe profited from nothing more than a breakdown in communication.”
But in the long run, there was little benefit to Pettersen’s team.
During the lunchbreak, the global golfing community came down like a tonne of bricks on the Europeans. A fired-up Team USA, some of whom took their frustrations to twitter, dominated the singles rounds to turn a 10-6 deficit into a remarkable 14.5-13.5 victory – the biggest comeback in the tournament’s history.
Sometimes it’s just better to concede than to awake your opponent from a slump. In a 2013 matchplay tie, Day was pushed to the 19th hole by tour rookie Russell Henley after refusing to concede a couple of close putts.
“Russell was getting angry,” Day said looking back on that match.
“He’s the kind of player that if you get him angry, he plays good, so never again. I’ll probably give him the putts.”
But Pettersen was widely criticised for her actions and for not playing within the spirit of the game.
When the match ended with a 1-up win to Europe, Pettersen’s teammate Charley Hull was in tears, leading many to believe the Englishwoman empathised more with her opponents than her partner.
Instead, Hull backed her teammate in the press conference, clarifying that when she was walking off the 17th green, she was not conceding the hole.
“I was walking over to Suzann to discuss whether or not to give the putt, and then I turned around and (Lee) picks it up," Hull said.
“I see a few people say I was walking off the green, but if you watch it again I was walking to Suzann.
“I felt for (Lee) because she picked it up and I felt really bad for what happened. I felt sorry for her but at the end of the day, rules are rules."
Even Lee’s partner, Brittany Lincicome, yelled out to try and stop Lee from picking up her ball.
“I did that because I wasn’t 100 percent sure it was conceded,” Lincicome said.
“Alison thought she heard someone say the putt was conceded. It might have been somebody in the crowd.”
There is an allowance in the Rules of Golf for a player who misinterprets the concession of a hole in decision 2-4/3, however this only applies when discussing concessions with your opponents and not members of the crowd.
If [an opponent’s] statement could reasonably have led [the golfer] to think their next stroke had been conceded, in equity (Rule 1-4) [the golfer] should replace their ball as near as possible to where it lay, without penalty.
Thanks to the photographic memory of GolfWA’s rules officials, we can recall that this happened in the 2000 WA Amateur semi-final at Sun City Country Club between Rick Kulacz and Dean Alaban.
When Rick putted a difficult attempt to a few feet (or maybe a touch more) he misunderstood a compliment from Alaban to be a concession.
After Alaban clarified his comments, Kulacz was allowed to replace his ball without penalty.
Unfortunately for Alison Lee, there is no scope to replace the ball without penalty when the confusion is caused by a member of the gallery.
A conceded putt is a privilege, not a right, and any golfer knows they need to be certain they have permission when picking up.
Given the circumstances, especially with the European Team appearing to walk away, it was an understandable mistake by Lee – and her brain fade inadvertently created a situation that brought the American team together for a stirring comeback, as the world was drawn in by the spectacle.
In the end, Team USA enjoyed the moral high ground and the glory of a deserved victory, while the Europeans quietly took what was coming.
The Europeans were right, but for the wrong reasons. And in the end it cost them the cup.
To Pettersen’s credit, she issued a heartfelt apology on Instagram after taking time to reflect on that wild Sunday at St Leon-Rot Golf Club.
Pettersen was sincere and made no attempt to downplay or explain the actions that she previously felt were justified.
The fans of the Solheim Cup had spoken and made it clear they wanted the event to be played in a positive spirit rather than the intense win-at-all-costs atmosphere of the Ryder Cup.
It’s an interesting quirk of the Rules of Golf in that it gave Pettersen the choice to capitalise on a mistake from her opponent, or to remain quiet and let the putt be conceded and hole halved.
Her decision was divisive, but for that afternoon it created an intense Ryder Cup style rivalry that made for compelling viewing. Pettersen’s apology will be welcomed by many and hopefully set the tone for a much friendlier – but to some less exciting — Solheim Cup in 2017.
defence of Pettersen
The dust is still settling after a big weekend of golf!
We saw the lovable Jason Day become World No. 1 at the BMW Championship, while Suzann Pettersen, a former World No. 1 in the women’s game, became the villain at the Solheim Cup over a conceded putt controversy.
When it comes to matchplay, both Day and Pettersen share the same competitive attitude about concessions.
As the 2014 World Matchplay Champion, Day made no apologies for his refusal to grant even the shortest of putts.
“If you’re so angry about having to hole out from one foot, two foot or three foot, you should just go out there and knock it in. Easy,” Day said.
After putting to approximately 45cm, American youngster Alison Lee was confused when members of the European team started walking away and she allegedly heard someone say the hole was conceded.
Lee mistakenly picked up her ball and Pettersen pounced, stating that the hole was never verbally conceded, leaving the rules official with no choice but to award the hole to the Europeans.
This resulted in tears from both sides, and calls that Europe’s likely win in the event would be “tainted”.
The BBC’s Ian Carter put it best: "The putt was only eighteen inches and Europe profited from nothing more than a breakdown in communication.”
But in the long run, there was little benefit to Pettersen’s team.
During the lunchbreak, the global golfing community came down like a tonne of brinks on the Europeans. A fired-up Team USA, some of whom took their frustrations to twitter, dominated the singles rounds to turn a 10-6 deficit into a remarkable 14.5-13.5 victory – the biggest comeback in the tournament’s history.
Sometimes it’s just better to concede than to awake your opponent from a slump. In a 2013 matchplay tie, Day was pushed to the 19th hole by tour rookie Russell Henley after refusing to concede a couple of close putts.
“Russell was getting angry,” Day said looking back on that match.
“He’s the kind of player that if you get him angry, he plays good, so never again. I’ll probably give him the putts.”
But Pettersen was widely criticised for her actions and for not playing within the spirit of the game.
When the match ended with a 1-up win to Europe, Pettersen’s teammate Charley Hull was in tears, leading many to believe the Englishwoman empathised more with her opponents than her partner.
Instead, Hull backed her teammate in the press conference, clarifying that when she was walking off the 17th green, she was not conceding the hole.
“I was walking over to Suzann to discuss whether or not to give the putt, and then I turned around and (Lee) picks it up," Hull said.
“I see a few people say I was walking off the green, but if you watch it again I was walking to Suzann.
“I felt for (Lee) because she picked it up and I felt really bad for what happened. I felt sorry for her but at the end of the day, rules are rules."
Even Lee’s partner, Brittany Lincicome, yelled out to try and stop Lee from picking up her ball.
“I did that because I wasn’t 100 percent sure it was conceded,” Lincicome said.
“Alison thought she heard someone say the putt was conceded. It might have been somebody in the crowd.”
There is an allowance in the Rules of Golf for a player who misinterprets the concession of a hole in decision 2-4/3, however this only applies when discussing concessions with your opponents and not members of the crowd.
If [an opponent’s] statement could reasonably have led [the golfer] to think their next stroke had been conceded, in equity (Rule 1-4) [the golfer] should replace their ball as near as possible to where it lay, without penalty.
Thanks to the photographic memory of GolfWA’s rules officials, we can recall that this happened in the 2000 WA Amateur semi-final at Sun City Country Club between Rick Kulacz and Dean Alaban.
When Rick putted a difficult attempt to a few feet (or maybe a touch more) he misunderstood a compliment from Alaban to be a concession.
After Alaban clarified his comments, Kulacz was allowed to replace his ball without penalty.
Unfortunately for Alison Lee, there is no scope to replace the ball without penalty when the confusion is caused by a member of the gallery.
A conceded putt is a privilege, not a right, and any golfer knows they need to be certain they have permission when picking up.
Given the circumstances, especially with the European Team appearing to walk away, it was an understandable mistake by Lee – and her brain fade inadvertently created a situation that brought the American team together for a stirring comeback, as the world was drawn in by the spectacle.
In the end, Team USA enjoyed the moral high ground and the glory of a deserved victory, while the Europeans quietly took what was coming.
The Europeans were right, but for the wrong reasons. And in the end it cost them the cup.
To Pettersen’s credit, she issued a heartfelt apology on Instagram after taking time to reflect on that wild Sunday at St Leon-Rot Golf Club.
Pettersen was sincere and made no attempt to downplay or explain the actions that she previously felt were justified.
The fans of the Solheim Cup had spoken and made it clear they wanted the event to be played in a positive spirit rather than the intense win-at-all-costs atmosphere of the Ryder Cup.
It’s an interesting quirk of the Rules of Golf in that it gave Pettersen the choice to capitalise on a mistake from her opponent, or to remain quiet and let the putt be conceded and hole halved.
Her decision was divisive, but for that afternoon it created an intense Ryder Cup style rivalry that made for compelling viewing. Pettersen’s apology will be welcomed by many and hopefully set the tone for a much friendlier – but to some less exciting — Solheim Cup in 2017.
In defence of Pettersen
The dust is still settling after a big weekend of golf!
We saw the lovable Jason Day become World No. 1 at the BMW Championship, while Suzann Pettersen, a former World No. 1 in the women’s game, became the villain at the Solheim Cup over a conceded putt controversy.
When it comes to matchplay, both Day and Pettersen share the same competitive attitude about concessions.
As the 2014 World Matchplay Champion, Day made no apologies for his refusal to grant even the shortest of putts.
“If you’re so angry about having to hole out from one foot, two foot or three foot, you should just go out there and knock it in. Easy,” Day said.
After putting to approximately 45cm, American youngster Alison Lee was confused when members of the European team started walking away and she allegedly heard someone say the hole was conceded.
Lee mistakenly picked up her ball and Pettersen pounced, stating that the hole was never verbally conceded, leaving the rules official with no choice but to award the hole to the Europeans.
This resulted in tears from both sides, and calls that Europe’s likely win in the event would be “tainted”.
The BBC’s Ian Carter put it best: "The putt was only eighteen inches and Europe profited from nothing more than a breakdown in communication.”
But in the long run, there was little benefit to Pettersen’s team.
During the lunchbreak, the global golfing community came down like a tonne of brinks on the Europeans. A fired-up Team USA, some of whom took their frustrations to twitter, dominated the singles rounds to turn a 10-6 deficit into a remarkable 14.5-13.5 victory – the biggest comeback in the tournament’s history.
Sometimes it’s just better to concede than to awake your opponent from a slump. In a 2013 matchplay tie, Day was pushed to the 19th hole by tour rookie Russell Henley after refusing to concede a couple of close putts.
“Russell was getting angry,” Day said looking back on that match.
“He’s the kind of player that if you get him angry, he plays good, so never again. I’ll probably give him the putts.”
But Pettersen was widely criticised for her actions and for not playing within the spirit of the game.
When the match ended with a 1-up win to Europe, Pettersen’s teammate Charley Hull was in tears, leading many to believe the Englishwoman empathised more with her opponents than her partner.
Instead, Hull backed her teammate in the press conference, clarifying that when she was walking off the 17th green, she was not conceding the hole.
“I was walking over to Suzann to discuss whether or not to give the putt, and then I turned around and (Lee) picks it up," Hull said.
“I see a few people say I was walking off the green, but if you watch it again I was walking to Suzann.
“I felt for (Lee) because she picked it up and I felt really bad for what happened. I felt sorry for her but at the end of the day, rules are rules."
Even Lee’s partner, Brittany Lincicome, yelled out to try and stop Lee from picking up her ball.
“I did that because I wasn’t 100 percent sure it was conceded,” Lincicome said.
“Alison thought she heard someone say the putt was conceded. It might have been somebody in the crowd.”
There is an allowance in the Rules of Golf for a player who misinterprets the concession of a hole in decision 2-4/3, however this only applies when discussing concessions with your opponents and not members of the crowd.
If [an opponent’s] statement could reasonably have led [the golfer] to think their next stroke had been conceded, in equity (Rule 1-4) [the golfer] should replace their ball as near as possible to where it lay, without penalty.
Thanks to the photographic memory of GolfWA’s rules officials, we can recall that this happened in the 2000 WA Amateur semi-final at Sun City Country Club between Rick Kulacz and Dean Alaban.
When Rick putted a difficult attempt to a few feet (or maybe a touch more) he misunderstood a compliment from Alaban to be a concession.
After Alaban clarified his comments, Kulacz was allowed to replace his ball without penalty.
Unfortunately for Alison Lee, there is no scope to replace the ball without penalty when the confusion is caused by a member of the gallery.
A conceded putt is a privilege, not a right, and any golfer knows they need to be certain they have permission when picking up.
Given the circumstances, especially with the European Team appearing to walk away, it was an understandable mistake by Lee – and her brain fade inadvertently created a situation that brought the American team together for a stirring comeback, as the world was drawn in by the spectacle.
In the end, Team USA enjoyed the moral high ground and the glory of a deserved victory, while the Europeans quietly took what was coming.
The Europeans were right, but for the wrong reasons. And in the end it cost them the cup.
To Pettersen’s credit, she issued a heartfelt apology on Instagram after taking time to reflect on that wild Sunday at St Leon-Rot Golf Club.
Pettersen was sincere and made no attempt to downplay or explain the actions that she previously felt were justified.
The fans of the Solheim Cup had spoken and made it clear they wanted the event to be played in a positive spirit rather than the intense win-at-all-costs atmosphere of the Ryder Cup.
It’s an interesting quirk of the Rules of Golf in that it gave Pettersen the choice to capitalise on a mistake from her opponent, or to remain quiet and let the putt be conceded and hole halved.
Her decision was divisive, but for that afternoon it created an intense Ryder Cup style rivalry that made for compelling viewing. Pettersen’s apology will be welcomed by many and hopefully set the tone for a much friendlier – but to some less exciting — Solheim Cup in 2017.
corner: In defence of Pettersen
The dust is still settling after a big weekend of golf!
We saw the lovable Jason Day become World No. 1 at the BMW Championship, while Suzann Pettersen, a former World No. 1 in the women’s game, became the villain at the Solheim Cup over a conceded putt controversy.
When it comes to matchplay, both Day and Pettersen share the same competitive attitude about concessions.
As the 2014 World Matchplay Champion, Day made no apologies for his refusal to grant even the shortest of putts.
“If you’re so angry about having to hole out from one foot, two foot or three foot, you should just go out there and knock it in. Easy,” Day said.
After putting to approximately 45cm, American youngster Alison Lee was confused when members of the European team started walking away and she allegedly heard someone say the hole was conceded.
Lee mistakenly picked up her ball and Pettersen pounced, stating that the hole was never verbally conceded, leaving the rules official with no choice but to award the hole to the Europeans.
This resulted in tears from both sides, and calls that Europe’s likely win in the event would be “tainted”.
The BBC’s Ian Carter put it best: "The putt was only eighteen inches and Europe profited from nothing more than a breakdown in communication.”
But in the long run, there was little benefit to Pettersen’s team.
During the lunchbreak, the global golfing community came down like a tonne of brinks on the Europeans. A fired-up Team USA, some of whom took their frustrations to twitter, dominated the singles rounds to turn a 10-6 deficit into a remarkable 14.5-13.5 victory – the biggest comeback in the tournament’s history.
Sometimes it’s just better to concede than to awake your opponent from a slump. In a 2013 matchplay tie, Day was pushed to the 19th hole by tour rookie Russell Henley after refusing to concede a couple of close putts.
“Russell was getting angry,” Day said looking back on that match.
“He’s the kind of player that if you get him angry, he plays good, so never again. I’ll probably give him the putts.”
But Pettersen was widely criticised for her actions and for not playing within the spirit of the game.
When the match ended with a 1-up win to Europe, Pettersen’s teammate Charley Hull was in tears, leading many to believe the Englishwoman empathised more with her opponents than her partner.
Instead, Hull backed her teammate in the press conference, clarifying that when she was walking off the 17th green, she was not conceding the hole.
“I was walking over to Suzann to discuss whether or not to give the putt, and then I turned around and (Lee) picks it up," Hull said.
“I see a few people say I was walking off the green, but if you watch it again I was walking to Suzann.
“I felt for (Lee) because she picked it up and I felt really bad for what happened. I felt sorry for her but at the end of the day, rules are rules."
Even Lee’s partner, Brittany Lincicome, yelled out to try and stop Lee from picking up her ball.
“I did that because I wasn’t 100 percent sure it was conceded,” Lincicome said.
“Alison thought she heard someone say the putt was conceded. It might have been somebody in the crowd.”
There is an allowance in the Rules of Golf for a player who misinterprets the concession of a hole in decision 2-4/3, however this only applies when discussing concessions with your opponents and not members of the crowd.
If [an opponent’s] statement could reasonably have led [the golfer] to think their next stroke had been conceded, in equity (Rule 1-4) [the golfer] should replace their ball as near as possible to where it lay, without penalty.
Thanks to the photographic memory of GolfWA’s rules officials, we can recall that this happened in the 2000 WA Amateur semi-final at Sun City Country Club between Rick Kulacz and Dean Alaban.
When Rick putted a difficult attempt to a few feet (or maybe a touch more) he misunderstood a compliment from Alaban to be a concession.
After Alaban clarified his comments, Kulacz was allowed to replace his ball without penalty.
Unfortunately for Alison Lee, there is no scope to replace the ball without penalty when the confusion is caused by a member of the gallery.
A conceded putt is a privilege, not a right, and any golfer knows they need to be certain they have permission when picking up.
Given the circumstances, especially with the European Team appearing to walk away, it was an understandable mistake by Lee – and her brain fade inadvertently created a situation that brought the American team together for a stirring comeback, as the world was drawn in by the spectacle.
In the end, Team USA enjoyed the moral high ground and the glory of a deserved victory, while the Europeans quietly took what was coming.
The Europeans were right, but for the wrong reasons. And in the end it cost them the cup.
To Pettersen’s credit, she issued a heartfelt apology on Instagram after taking time to reflect on that wild Sunday at St Leon-Rot Golf Club.
Pettersen was sincere and made no attempt to downplay or explain the actions that she previously felt were justified.
The fans of the Solheim Cup had spoken and made it clear they wanted the event to be played in a positive spirit rather than the intense win-at-all-costs atmosphere of the Ryder Cup.
It’s an interesting quirk of the Rules of Golf in that it gave Pettersen the choice to capitalise on a mistake from her opponent, or to remain quiet and let the putt be conceded and hole halved.
Her decision was divisive, but for that afternoon it created an intense Ryder Cup style rivalry that made for compelling viewing. Pettersen’s apology will be welcomed by many and hopefully set the tone for a much friendlier – but to some less exciting — Solheim Cup in 2017.