Playing from a hazard: Rules of Golf with Annika Sorenstam and Brian Davis
Annika Sorenstam filmed this little snippet explaining your options after a golf ball lands in a water hazard.
Annika Sorenstam feature sin this nice video on the rules pertaining to playing from water a hazard. Brian Davis got into some trouble while playing from a hazard in a playoff against Jim Furyk in last week’s Verizon Heritage tournament. He knocked a reed on his back swing while making the stroke and immediately called the rules official for a ruling.
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Rule 13-2 states that a player may move, bend or break anything growing or fixed in making a stroke or in the backward movement of his club for a stroke and the stroke is made. But Davis had made contact with a “loose impediment” on his backswing. A “dead palm frond” was the culprit.
The video shows the situation in more detail but in summary; you can brush or bend anything in a hazard that is growing but do not brush or bend anything that isn’t.
Thanks to the great Barry Rhodes at Rules of Golf for clarification.
Excellent clarification point!
Davis’ rule knowledge and honesty when the ‘rule-break’ gave him no advantage shows that golf really is a gentleman’s sport.