When the golf balls go for a swim

Nine years ago, when I was involved with the Golfer of the Year series, I met many talented amateur golfers across the eighteen tournaments that year.

The most impressive of whom were the “fantastic five”, then still in their teens and immensely talented, namely Greg Snow, Ganeev Giddie, Nelson Mudanyi, Ernest Mutema and Stefan Andersen.

I don’t know what became of Mutema as I haven’t seen him since, but the rest turned professional.

Last week, I was so pleased to watch Andersen make cut at the BMW South Africa Open.

He may not have been in the playoff with Graeme Storm and Rory McIlroy, but I was very happy to see one of our own competing on the big stage.
To do this on the second oldest open event in the world was no mean feat.

I suspect that Andersen is the first Kenyan to have ever made cut in an European Tour Event as I don’t recall anyone else making cut.

Back home, while Andersen was making cut at the SA Open, the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (previously known as the Golfer of the Year) started with the Sigona Bowl.

As the year opener in the championship, the event was well organised and golf referees were at hand to help with the interpretation of the Rules of Golf.

There weren’t many problems with the Rules but a few golfers needed help in identifying the correct spot to drop a ball after their original balls took a dive in the water hazard to escape the relentless January sun.

There are a few things that golfers need to know in as far as water hazards are concerned:

1. Provisional ball

In the event that your ball ends up in a watery grave, don’t be quick to play a provisional ball. If there is no doubt that your ball is in the drink, or if there is no possibility of the ball being lost outside the water hazard, then you must not play a provisional ball.

If you do, that becomes the ball in play and you must add one penalty stroke to the strokes played on the hole.

However, if there is a possibility that the ball is lost outside the water hazard (if there is say some trees next to the water hazard and there is a possibility that the ball could be in them), then the golfer may play a provisional ball.

2. Water hazard (Yellow line or stakes)

If the ball is in a water hazard marked by yellow lines or stakes, then the golfer has three choices.

The first is to play the ball as it lies in the water hazard.

In doing so, the player must not touch the water or ground within the water hazard with their club or hands.

If they do touch the water or ground in the water hazard, they incur a two-stroke penalty.

If the player cannot play the ball as it lies, then they are left with two choices under penalty of 1 stroke:

‘A’ is for Again.

The player can always play again from the place where they played the last shot.

‘B’ is for Back in line.

The golfer can drop a ball back in line, keeping the spot where the ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard between them and the hole.
There is no limit as to how far back the golfer may go.

3. Lateral water hazard (red line or stakes)

If the ball in play is in a lateral water hazard, then the golfer has all the choices provided for under the water hazard (the one with yellow lines or stakes).
They are, however, allowed one extra choice under penalty of one stroke:

‘C’ is for two Club-lengths.

A golfer may drop a ball outside the lateral water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the lateral water hazard.

The peculiar thing about this rule is that you are allowed to drop the ball on the putting green of the hole being played. However this is if, and only if, the putting green is within two club-lengths of the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the lateral water hazard and that the spot where the ball is being dropped is not nearer the hole.

There are a number of golf referees who have volunteered to assist during the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship competitions across the country this year.

Professional golfers will be invited to play alongside our top amateurs in the country.

I’m certain that with the level exposure that top golfers like Andersen has, they are bound to have a positive influence on our amateur golfers.

We also look forward to seeing Andersen during the Karen Masters as well as the Barclays Kenya Open.