Mud in your ball? Here’s what the rules say for removing it

There was no joy in Mudville, AKA The empty quilAfter the round of Thursday’s opening in PGA championshipwhere two of the leading players of the game caught About the clumsy lies they would pull on the right roads on a course that was blocked by heavy rain.

Both worlds. Nr. 1 Scottie Scheffler and the world. Nr. 3 Xander SCHAUFFELE is blamed mud in their golf balls For the wrong shots they would hit and question America’s PGA decision NO To play the elevator, cleaned and set.

“When I look at the golf tournaments, I want the purest, most right golf test, and in my opinion, maybe the ball should have been played today,” Scheffler said.

“But” he added, “I don’t make the rules.”

In a tour, of course, he has to follow them.

What about the golf that most of us play? In random rounds, do we have a free road? Or should we even play mud balls?

The short answer is, it depends.

The slightly longer answer begins according to rules 8 and 9, and GIST is this: unless special decisions are made, you have to play it as it stands. Without raising. Without cleaning. No complaints. (This third part is not an official rule, but it is good to respect).

But just like America’s PGA It has the power to allow the rise, cleaning and place in its greatest event, your course has the right to approve what is known as a local model of the model that allows the same. Although this rule is generally created to be used for balls on the right track, the course (many as a tournament) may decide to allow the rise and cleaning to the rough and elsewhere in the “general zone”, which means everywhere, but bunkers, penalty areas and greens. (In the greens, of course, you can always freeze and clean your ball).

Is there any other case when you can clean the mud from your ball? Happy you asked.

If a ball is so completely tied to the mud that you cannot be sure it is yours, you can clean it to identify it (Note: The rules are clear that you can only clean one ball for identification purposes if it is absolutely, positively needed). You can also clean your ball if you get free relief, say, random water, or an immovable barrier like a carriage trail or a service box.

Whenever you freeze and clean your ball, you must first mark it, as you do in a green and replace it in its original location.

These are the rules. But there is this reality: many of us play loose golf. Sometimes, we create our own rules. So what happens, for example, if you are out with friends and decide inside your group to play elevator, clean and decide? You are not consulted with the course or a committee. You just gone rogue and approved a rule for your group that day. Sound good for your match. What about your handicap? Can you post your score?