Rules of Golf Review: Our team conceded a putt but the guy still hit it to help his partner with the line. Penalty?
Jan Kruger
Even in Saturday morning matches between old friends, things can get a little chippy when money is on the line. A recent dust-up that went down at a Northeast country club (and one that probably happens a fair amount around the country) surfaced an interesting rules conundrum.
In a four-ball match, partners on the putting green had their balls on a similar line. The player who was likely to make a higher score was about to hit the putt to show his partner the break. The opposing team, wise in its ways, saw what was about to happen and immediately conceded the putt.
You can guess from our headline what happened next: The player whose stroke was conceded hit the putt anyway.
Clearly, this was done in an attempt to show his partner the line. There was no hiding behind the rule that allows you to practice on the putting green of the hole you're playing upon completion of it (Rule 5.5b). The reason? This is a team competition, and the hole is not completed until both players hole out or have their strokes conceded or concede the hole to the other side.
If you're wondering what should happen, it's covered under Rule 23.6. "A player must not continue play of a hole after the player’s next stroke has been conceded if this would help their partner."
If this rule is ignored, as it happened at the Northeast club match, the partner who has yet to putt no longer matters in terms of the outcome of the hole. His or her score can't count for the side, so the partner whose shot was conceded now supplies the team's score for that hole.
Keep in mind that there is no penalty. Just some bad etiquette and (hopefully) a costly mistake for the player who tried to game the game.
