How it happened: Patrick Reed’s controversial drop at Torrey Pines

[ad_1]

SAN DIEGO – Patrick Reed found himself embroiled in another rules controversy, but this time the rulebook was on his side.

After hitting his drive into a bunker and pulling his approach shot wildly left and into the rough at the par-4 10th hole Saturday at Torrey Pines, Reed determined that his ball was embedded after being told by a nearby volunteer that it did not bounce when it landed.

Reed marked where his golf ball had stopped and picked it up before calling in rules official Brad Fabel, who concurred that Reed’s golf ball was embedded and he was entitled to relief. After taking a drop, Reed pitched to 14 feet and made the putt for par.

“At that point, when you have three players, three caddies and the volunteer’s really close to the golf ball not seeing the ball bounce, then you have to go by what everyone sees and what everyone saw,” Reed said. “When no one has seen that, then the rules official basically say whether it’s free relief or not, and the rules official agreed that the ball has broken the plane and it was relief.”

Social media began to push back on the ruling after a replay clearly showed that Reed’s ball had bounced before settling into the rough. After the round, another rules official, John Mutch, showed the video to Reed and the two other players in his group, Will Gordon and Robby Shelton, to confirm the ruling.

“He operated the way the rules permit him to operate,” Mutch said. “It’s similar to virtual certainty, under embedded ball it’s called ‘reasonable to conclude,’ but if you hit the ball into a penalty area and you’re playing with a couple of your buddies and you’re virtually certain that’s where the ball went and you operate under the penalty area rule and then later somebody in a group two groups behind you says, ‘Hey, I found your ball in the left rough,’ well, you’re not under any penalty because you were virtually certain the ball’s in the penalty area and you proceeded according to the rules.”


Why Reed picked up ball on 10th hole at Farmers

Why Reed picked up ball on 10th hole at Farmers

Both Gordon and Shelton declined to comment.

Reed, who was leading the Farmers Insurance Open by four strokes after making the turn on Saturday, struggled on the back nine with four bogeys on his way to a third-round 70 for a share of the lead with Carlos Ortiz at 10 under.

This isn’t the first time Reed has been involved in a controversial rules situation. Most notably, Reed appeared to improve his lie in a bunker and was penalized two strokes at the 2019 Hero World Challenge, although he said at the time “it is my word against their word.”

How it happened: Patrick Reed's controversial drop at Torrey Pines 2

[ad_2]

Source: GolfChannel

Related Posts

LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Bryson DeChambeau on Dude Perfect video: ‘Times are changing’

Bryson DeChambeau on Dude Perfect – AUGUSTA, Ga. – Count Bryson DeChambeau among those who was surprised Augusta National green-lit the now viral Dude Perfect video. “Everybody was,” DeChambeau said…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Brooks Koepka has inkling of what Tiger Woods faces in return at Augusta National

Brooks Koepka – AUGUSTA, Ga. – Brooks Koepka at least has some semblance of an idea of what Tiger Woods is facing this week at Augusta National. Last year, it…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Fred Couples happy to be getting Tiger Woods texts again at Masters

[ad_1] AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fred Couples has become a regular practice round partner of Tiger Woods at the Masters, but as this year’s tournament approached he didn’t expect to hear…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Collin Morikawa much better at making golf history than recalling it

[ad_1] Collin Morikawa wants to make history. Remembering it, however, is a different story. Morikawa won two majors, the PGA Championship and The Open, prior to turning 25. He’s the…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Watch: Masters tweets video of Tiger Woods’ Sunday practice round

[ad_1] Tiger Woods arrived at Augusta National on Sunday afternoon after tweeting that competing in the 86th Masters Tournament would be a “game-time decision.” Woods, around 3:20 p.m. ET, warmed up…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Drive, Chip and Putt recap: Bubba Watson fan Autumn Solesbee among winners

[ad_1] AUGUSTA, Ga. – Waiting for Autumn Solesbee under the iconic oak tree behind Augusta National’s clubhouse was Bubba Watson. As a former Masters champion, Watson has become a regular…

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *