blue3715

We had a nice little controversy about a match play (match) at my club. It's all pretty unsportsmanlike, but it was so difficult to figure out our pro had to email the USGA for a ruling. No it didn't involve me. I lost my match.

Players A and B start their match. After the 2nd hole (3rd tee) player A tells player B he has 15 clubs (his wife's 3-wood somehow got put in his bag). According to player A, Player B said "I'm not going to call you on it". The match was all even at that point.

After the 17th hole, player A wins 2 up. Players B says, "But wait, you have 15 clubs, we should be even" (From rule 4-3(?) in a match play the most you can lose is 2 holes if you discover a player with too many clubs).

They go to the pro who asks player B if he waived the penatly on #2. Player B denies saying anything on hole #2!!! He says he didn't know it until 17!

(No, they did not shake, nor play #18).

So according to player A, the other player waived the penalty. Acording to player B he did not know about it until the 18th.

But the question is, how could player B have just amazingly discovered this 15th club after the 17th hole?! He must have known prior to that.

In my opinion rule 1-3 should be put in effect.. Both players may NOT under any circumstance agree to waive a penalty. If they do so (as they did) they are BOTH disqualified. If the USGA believes player B, then they may just disqualify player A for not penalizing himself (on the score card). They could take some pity and assume player A properly discarded the 15th club, but since he did not note it on the scorecard, he gave false information to Player B (again a disqualification).

Unfortunately since player B denies knowing, and there is no proof otherwise, it's going to cost player A the win. If he's REALLY lucky the USGA will rule 4-3 and send them to 18, all square.

This is why you need a witness (caddy) and to mark the scorecard. Golf is about integrity and to not penalize yourself is just bad golf.