Golf rules reminder starring Jeff Overton: use of practice aids during a round

These rules reminders courtesy of the pros who break them, may just become a regular thing.

I’m conscious of making sure that we’re not always focussing on the professional golf tours. After all, the game is about more than just the pros, but often they provide us with timely reminders on the rules of of the game. Tiger Woods did it at the Masters and this week, Jeff Overton helps us remember the rules on using practice aids during a round.

American golfer Jeff Overton was disqualified from the Crowne Plaza Invitational on the weekend because he used a training aid during his round.

During a wait on the 10th tee, he went and practised on a nearby putting green using an alignment stick he had in his bag. A fellow competitor alerted officials who disqualified him the following hole.

The rule is specifically outlined in Decision 14-3/10.3 which says:

Q. During a stipulated round, a player uses a rod to check his alignment or his swing plane. What is the ruling?

A. The player is disqualified under Rule 14-3 as the rod is unusual equipment and such use, during the stipulated round, is not permitted. Carrying the rod is not, of itself, a breach of a Rule.

Yes the rules are long but you’d think these guys would know the rules.

All the same, it sometimes happens and you’d think that such a clear breach of the rules would be met by contrition. Not so in Jeff’s case, he took to Twitter to complain:

3 group back up at the turn. Rules official tells me we can practice chipping and putting. Disqualified for using my practice putting aid!

— Jeff Overton (@JeffOvertonPGA) May 25, 2013

Why do rules officials initiate that conversation to begin with. I wouldn’t even have gone up there if I had know that.What a joke! — Jeff Overton (@JeffOvertonPGA) May 25, 2013

If ur gonna inform someone on a rule of something a person can do, make sure u remind them of the small things they can’t do. — Jeff Overton (@JeffOvertonPGA) May 25, 2013

Tough break today. Looks like I gotta go back and rememorize a couple hundred pages of the usga rules book!

— Jeff Overton (@JeffOvertonPGA) May 25, 2013

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, you are allowed to go and practice you putting during a round of golf on a nearby putting green, but the use of practice aids if definitely not allowed.