Ball moved by her own bag, a curious case

Yesterday at 06:55 PM

A very rare rule case occurred during the 2nd round of the LPGA Tour final, the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples (Florida). It involved Olympic champion Lydia Ko. The cause of the incident? The wind… The culprit? The player’s golf bag.

This is a situation that may be unprecedented at this level… In any case, very rare. Violent gusts of wind swept across the Naples course in Florida during the 2nd round of the CME Group Tour Championship. Aeolus blew so hard that it knocked Lydia Ko’s bag over, which in its fall hit and moved the Olympic champion’s ball.

The incident occurred on the fairway of the 9th. Lydia Ko’s caddie was probably negligent, but the incident was without consequence. In the presence of a referee, the New Zealander was allowed to replace her ball where it had been, without penalty.

External influence, no penalty Rule 9.6 was applied. It simply states:

If it is certain or virtually certain that an external influence has lifted or moved a player’s ball at rest:

There is no penalty, and The ball must be replaced on its original spot (which, if not known, must be estimated) (see Rule 14.2). This is somewhat similar to Rule 13.1d that we recently detailed in an article that asked the question “what happens if your ball moves because of the wind?” The movement of the bag was considered to be caused by an external influence.

Lydia Ko was able to score par on this hole #9. She is still in the running (21st) in the Florida tournament led by the American Angel Yin who has a certain Nelly Korda on her heels...

The rules of golf are relatively complicated compared to other sports because they are played outdoors, close to nature and animals. Respecting the rules is a basic element in the game of golf, which, almost always based on self-control and the free conscience of the players, often sees distorted results, sometimes consciously, but often unconsciously or through carelessness, due to the non-observance by many players of the rules of the game. In addition to the rules, golf adheres to a code of conduct, known as etiquette, which generally means playing the game with due respect for the golf course and other players. Etiquette is an essential component of this sport.