Justin Thomas and an official on Thursday on the ninth gap at Albany Golf Club.
Golf Channel
Grass lower to fairway size or much less, or not? Relief or no aid?
In the tip, the solutions have been each damaging throughout Thursday’s Hero World Challenge first spherical. But the prolonged sequence was not with out spirit. Justin Thomas referred to as for a “second opinion” on a ruling. There was discuss grass coloration. Grass size, too. (Who knew these latter matters could possibly be so attention-grabbing?)
The trade began after Thomas’ second shot on the par-5 ninth at Albany Golf Club. His ball, after earlier rain, had picked up mud after it settled about 50 yards in need of the pin, and Thomas was wanting preferred-lies — or lift-clean-and-place — aid, which was in play and usually applies to grass size famous above. But the place was Thomas’ ball sitting?
On the Golf Channel broadcast, it appeared it was in a barely darker shade of grass than what appeared to be the golf green, which was just a few toes to the appropriate. However, the grass the place Thomas’ ball was additionally gave the impression to be the identical size as the golf green lower, and that was Thomas’ argument when he referred to as over a guidelines official.
Lose his case, and he could be pressured to hit a nasty mud ball.
“Basically, what’s going on?” Thomas mentioned to the official, the dialog picked up by Golf Channel mics.
After a pair minutes, the official pointed at a prolonged line that divided the shades of grass, or, apparently, the divider between the golf green and non-fairway. Thomas then famous what he believed was precise tough, a thick patch of grass just a few yards ahead and to the left.
“But you see, what I’m saying, this is also beat down from the carts, but look at how much longer this is than this,” he mentioned earlier than strolling over to the thicker grass. “Like see, this is the same height [where his ball was and the apparent fairway.] I totally see it’s down grain and it’s a totally different color, but … the change of the length of grass is just what kind of confused me.”
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The speak continued, and when he was apparently denied aid, Thomas requested for the second opinion. “It’s the same exact length,” he instructed his caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay. “… This is not rough.”
Did he have some extent? Model Local Rule E-3, which addresses most well-liked lies, says: “When a player’s ball lies in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less [or identify a specific area such as ‘on the fairway of the 6th hole’], the player may take free relief once.” It’s additionally value noting that the rule e-book additionally says that mannequin native guidelines “can either be adopted in their entirety or can serve as an example of how to write a particular type of Local Rule.”
After a pair extra minutes, the second official carted over. Thomas once more identified the rougher-looking tough.
“Again, you can see like it’s a totally different kind of grass: This is rough,” he mentioned.
Rules official two stood by guidelines official one, although.
“I can see the cutline right here,” he mentioned, pointing to the aforementioned divider between the shades of grass — and ruling that Thomas couldn’t get aid.
And that was that.
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“All right. Thanks,” Thomas mentioned.
From there, Thomas pitched on to about 20 toes in need of the outlet. A voice within the background mentioned: “Didn’t even need it,” a reference to the aid. Thomas went on to two-putt, and he signed for an even-par 72, which is three strokes behind the leaders.
“That second opinion almost never works,” analyst Paul Azinger mentioned on the printed.
“Really?” announcer Dan Hicks mentioned.
“Never,” Azinger mentioned. “Very rarely will an official go against another official.”
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