New-York tribune., 1907-11-11
RULES WORRY GOLFERS
COMNITTEES DIFFER.
To Re1ise Constitution of the Metro
pOktan Association.

There seems to be an increasing tendency to
take more notice OF the misinterpretations OF the
rules of golf, especially where they figure In cham
pionship tournaments. Especial attention has been
called to an incident which occurred during the
Olympic Cup competition at Euclid last July. for
the reason that different decisions nave oeen
handed down by two prominent governing bodies.
1t appears that a member of the metropolitan
got into difficulties while playing the eleventh
failed to tee Immediately behind the trouble with
the result that his right TO do so was questioned.
AS opinions differ regarding players rights under
the rule, effort made to secure official
ruling and the following query was made to the
secretary of the United States Golf Association;
I'm a medal play competition A. ball lands just
in the of some bushes which skirt the boun-
dairy of the course at a certain hole Not being
able find a good place Immediately behind the
bushes to tee his ball. A brings the ball out into
the fair green a considerable distance-not, how
ever nearer the hole-tees it, adds two strokes to
his score and proceeds with his play. There were
some trees, as well the clump of bushes, be-
tween the place where A. IS ball lay and the hole.
This, OF course was not the case when the ball
was teed out on the fair green. Were two strokes
the proper penalty for A s action, or should 1t have
been disqualification"
The answer was follows:
Rule 10. medal play. covers your case.
IF it was impossible to tee behind the place
where the ball lay II should have been teed near
as possible thereto. but not the hole
As this reply did not to answer the ques-
ton satisfactorily, the inquiry submitted TO
the rules of golf committee OF st. Andrews The
latter recently replied:
The player was disqualified for not conforming
TO Rule 10 Especial rules for stroke competitions)
Rule 10 reads follows: "A ball may be lifted
from any place under penalty of two strokes. a
ball lifted shall be teed if possible behind the
place where II lay; If 1t be impossible TO tee the
ball behind the place where it lay it shall be teed
possible thereto, but not nearer the hole.
The penalty for breach of this rule shall be dis
qualification"
The use of the word behind would indicate
that the intent of the rule is to keep the trouble
from which the ball is lifted between the player
and the hole Many claim that it is incongruity
to construe the rule TO mean that player may tee
the lifted ball place he pleases. long the
place is not nearer the hole.
Marshall Whitatch won the championship of the
Dyker Meadow Golf Club yesterday. defeating w.
B. Rhett in the thirty-sx hole final round by up
and to play Although the turf soft In places
the winner played well. getting SO in the morn
ing and 70 in the afternoon. The last nine holes
we're rceed off in SO. and had Whitatch not missed
short put on the homo green he would have re-
turned 80 and eQuaed the course record. Whit
latch also the CroweH Hadden jr.. memorial
cup on Saturday. defeating II. p. Matthews up
and to play in the final round.
Another competition decided over the Fort Ham
ilton course yesterday was the eghteen-hole medal
play handicap for the Navy Cup. which James L.
Taylor with n card of S4-5-79. There were
fifty starters. and the OF the leaders follow