Rules of Golf Review: My opponent purposely putted away from the hole to show his partner the line. Can he do that?
Patrik Giardino
We're probably all guilty of some form of bad behavior on the golf course. Let's face it, the game can bring out some ugliness when things aren't going well. That said, when someone on the pro tours slams a club into the turf or releases an F-bomb after four-putting, there is usally a fine involved. Not to pick on any one golfer, but Tyrrell Hatton seems like a fine waiting to happen every time he trots out on to a fairway. He even joked about it during the U.S. Open last year.
This brings us to the topic of what is and what isn't allowed in terms of questionable behavior. Rule 1.2 in the Rules of Golf covers player conduct, and it might surprise you that while players are expected to "act with integrity" and be "honest in all aspects of play," there is no penalty for failing to do so. However, it needs to be said that certain actions are grounds for disqualification if the committee deems the action to be a "serious breach" of Rule 1.2. Furthermore, Rule 1.2b says a course or committee can enact a Local Rule that lists its own standards for player conduct and can implement stroke penalties or disqualification for misconduct.
Addressing the topic of purposely putting away from a hole to show someone else in the group how his or her putt will break, this is a bit of a gray area for the rules. The act of playing away from the hole is "likely to be considered serious misconduct" according to the Rules of Golf, but there is no mandate it has to be handled with a disqualification. For starters, in a normal Saturday morning match, there might not be a designated committee to make such a ruling. You could run into the pro shop and get a ruling from the head golf pro, as the definition of the "committee" includes the person or group in charge of the course. But there still is a chance that the person asked to referee might not rule in favor of a penalty stroke or disqualification.
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One scenario where putting away from the hole doesn't necessarily rise to the level of serious misconduct is if the action has no impact on the outcome of the hole. It's subjective, obviously, but the message here is to NOT putt away from the hole if you're trying to help a partner glean some information about an ensuing putt.
Rule 23.6 also has to be noted. If you're in match and your next stroke has been conceded, you can't continue to play the hole if it would help your partner. For example, your putt is on the same line of your partner and is conceded. Now is not the time to hit a "practice putt." If you do, your partner's score can't count for your side's score on the hole. Only your score counts.
On the flip side, if you are in a four-ball match and your putt might help an opponent with his or her break, there is nothing in the rules that says you have to make the stroke if it doesn't matter in terms of your match. Just pick it up and hope your partner wins or ties the hole. That's not bad behavior, that's just good match-play strategy.