Ohio Golf Journal May 2018

$ID YOU SEE 0HIL -ICKELSONmS SWING FROM THE FAIRWAY ON 3ATURDAY IN THE THIRD ROUND OF THE -ASTERS AT !UGUSTA .ATIONAL WHEREHECOMPLETELY WHIFFED AND MISSED THE BALL Is that a stroke and does it COUNT ON HIS SCORECARD 4HE ANSWER IS 9ES FOR THIS REASON 53'!mS DEÚNITION OF A lSTROKEm SAYS l! nSTROKEo IS THE FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE CLUB MADE with the intention OF STRIKING IT AND MOVING THE BALLm Whether or not there is Rules Lessons From The Masters Tournament: When a stroke is not a stroke By: Richard Todd CONTACT OR LACK OF IT AND DOES IT COUNT AS A STROKE CONFUSES MANY GOLFERS 2IGHTFULLY SO AS the answer varies depending ON WHERE YOU ARE ON THE GOLF course. On the tee box , a stroke THAT MISSES THE BALL COUNTS IF THE PLAYER INTENDED TO PUT THE BALL INTO PLAY BUT IF THE GOLFER ACCIDENTALLY HITS THE BALL PRIOR TO TEEING OFF THEN no stroke counts. This is most often seen in the joke about counting one stroke when your preshot waggle knocks the ball of the tee. No score actually is counted . In the fairway or a hazard , ACCIDENTAL CONTACT ISNmT A STROKE EITHER BUT ONE PENALTY stroke needs to be added to YOUR SCORE AND THE BALL MUST BE REPLACED 53'! 2ULE TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION 3IMILAR TO THE TEE BOX IF THERE WAS INTENT TO MOVE THE BALL BUT no contact was made the attempted stroke is counted. On the green IF THE BALL IS ACCIDENTALLY MOVED THERE IS NO PENALTY 3IMPLY REPLACE THE BALL TO ITS ORIGINAL SPOT )F A STROKE WAS ATTEMPTED BUT missed that stroke counts TOO ALTHOUGH )mVE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE MISS THE BALL WHILE putting. Oh io Go l f J ourna l