Quote:
Originally Posted by squiggs96
I was in a match a couple weeks ago. It was a shotgun start, but on hole 18 (our fourth hole of the day), I tapped in for bogey. He said I got a double, because he said I double hit the ball on my chip. I didn't feel a double hit, and I didn't hear one. When he said I did it I was more surprised than anything. I told him that I wasn't calling him a liar, but I really didn't think it happened. As we were waiting to tee off on the 1st hole we went in to the golf shop and asked the head pro. He said that because my opponent heard a double tap, I likely did it, and thus I lost the hole. I didn't agree with it, but there was a clear ruling from a pro, so I went with it. It sucked, and I was already leaking oil at the time.
Has anyone else been in a situation like this? I don't think the guy was cheating, nor do I think he was trying to rattle me. I think he really thought that I double hit my chip, but I really didn't think I did. It's tough that because he said he heard it, that I have to adjust my scorecard.
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Wow, that situation sucks. In my experiences I would usually side with the player (you) and not the marker (opponent). But you guys did do the right thing by asking the pro, and in that situation he would be considered the committee and need to make the decision. My initial reaction was that it should have been ruled in your favor and it upset me a bit so I did some digging and really found nothing that helps your case but I still think the pro should have made a different decision.
34-3/9 -Resolutions of Questions of Fact-
" When the Committee is unable to determine the facts to its
satisfaction, it must resolve the matter in the fairest way (Decision 34-3/5).
Testimony of the players involved is important and must be given due
consideration. In some situations where the facts are not decisive, the doubt
should be resolved in favour of the player (Decisions 15-1/2 and 19-1/4.1); in others, the doubt should be resolved against the player (Decision 13-4/35.5
and 21/3). There is no hard-and-fast rule for evaluating the testimony of the
players or for assigning the weight to be given to such testimony and each
situation must be treated on its own merits. The proper action depends
on the circumstances in each case and must be left to the judgment of the
referee, or the Committee as a whole."