Korean Seung-yul Noh paid a heavy price for his ignorance of a basic rule in golf.
The breach of the rules prompted Slugger White, Vice President of Rules and Competition, to remark: “I’ve been out here 33 years and I’ve have never seen this happen.”
In hitting off the tee at the par four 11th hole, the reigning Zurich Classic of New Orleans champion found the third hole green located on the right side of the 11th.
However in a glaring ignorance of the rules the South-Korean born player then proceeded to hit his second shot from the putting surface of the third green.
What is bizarre is that Noh had to wait until the three players on the third green putted out and with his caddy, David Brooker who used to caddy for Sweden’s Suzanne Patterson, actually working out the yardage and also ignorant that nine out of 10 amateurs would know.
And even more alarming is the remarks of a former Maori-born PGA Tour winner who was commentating on the incident for PGA Tour.com and also exhibited complete ignorance in first saying ‘he’s elected to whack it off the green’ but then when he interviews rules official Brad Fabel and the breach is explained, the commentator bizarrely asks: “Oh, it that a local rule or a rule of golf?”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing!
Fabel had been sitting in his buggy some 30-yards away but then in fairness to him he was clearly uncertain if Noh’s ball was actually on the putting surface even though it was obvious Seung-yul was well and truly on the green.
Under Rule 25-3, if a player’s ball is on a wrong putting green, the player must take relief and drop within one club length not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief, and the nearest point of relief must also not be in a hazard or on a putting green.
Noh said that he was unaware of the rule and never called for an official but added that one was 20 or 30 yards away watching the events unfold.
Noh’s playing partners, Graeme McDowell and George McNeill, were not nearby.
But after Noh hit his second shot official Fabel then realized Noh had indeed played a shot from the wrong putting surface.
He immediately informed Noh he was in contrary of the rules and to add a two stroke penalty, and with the young Korean walking off with a triple bogey ‘7’.
And Noh made such a mess on the green that officials had to put a hole plug in the spot where Noh had hit from.
McDowell remarked: “He should have taken relief and I am sure that if you ask 99 out of 100 players on the Tour what is the rule and no one will know that rule.
“I didn’t know the rule and there was a referee close by him but not close enough to know he was in fact on the third green at the time.
“I wasn’t close by as I was down the left side of the fairway but I knew there was something going on, so I felt bad for Seung as he is a hell of a player despite making a triple there at 11.”
