By Mitch Moon
At the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati, I encountered a situation I never thought I would see in a professional golf tournament.
Under Rule 19 (Unplayable Ball), if the ball is in the general area, bunker, or on the putting green, the player has several options if they choose to take an unplayable lie.
The player can return to where they played the previous shot, drop within two club-lengths from where their ball is at rest, but no closer to the hole, or they can go “back-on-the-line,” straight back from the flagstick, as far as they would like.
If the ball is at rest in a bunker, for one penalty stroke, the player may choose from all the options listed above, but must remain in the bunker.
In 2019, another option was added. Incurring a two-stroke penalty, the golfer may come completely out of the bunker, but must stay back-on-the-line with the flagstick.
During the final round with very wet and rainy conditions, a player found her ball plugged just under the lip of a steep fairway bunker. There was a hesitation from playing it from that spot because of injury and the unknown of how the ball would react. The two club-length option did not allow much relief either, creating an extremely awkward lie. The next discussion between the caddie and the player centered around dropping the ball back-on-the-line, either within the bunker, or outside of it.
With the rain coming down, the sand had compacted on the surface and the player was certain the ball, when dropped within the bunker, would plug, leaving a very difficult 180-yard shot from a wet bunker with a steep lip that would need to be navigated.
To my dismay, the player found a flat spot outside of the bunker in the fairway about 200 yards from the flag and she decided played from there. Her shot finished short of the green, but she eventually got up and down for a double-bogey six.
Initially the rule was adapted for golfers, who struggle with bunkers. I can now attest, however, to it being utilized on a professional tour.
Could she have saved bogey from the bunker? We’ll never know!
