Bad boy Patrick Reid also controversy over rule violations… judge “no problem”

Patrick Reed. [AP=연합뉴스]

Hole 10. Patrick Reed, who was in the lead in the fourth stroke, struck a ball from the fairway bunker, bent to the left and fell into a deep rough. Reed found the ball. Reed made a mark and picked up the ball. After that, I called the competition committee members. He showed the ball marks and explained that the ball was stuck deeply and the ball was pulled out. The competition committee member agreed to a zero penalty drop. Reid dropped the ball in a relatively short rough, then went all the way to the green and looked for a place to fall before succeeding in a par save.

This happened in the third round of the PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open on the 31st (Korean time) at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) near San Diego, California, USA.

American broadcasters said it was right for Reid to check the ball after calling the referee. However, it is not a problem for Reed to arbitrarily check the ball by the rules. If the ball is stuck in the ground according to the rules changed in 2019, the ball can be checked at the player’s discretion. It is believing in the conscience of the player.

But it was weird. It is very unlikely that the ball was stuck deeply. As a result of the video replay, the ball bounced once in the rough and then fell. Reed told the competition committee “the ball doesn’t seem to bounce.” The competition committee member believed Reid’s words and granted permission to drop without penalty. CBS broadcast commentator Nick Paldo raised the question, “How can a ball that has been bounced once and then dropped slightly?”

Reid played 4 bogies in 6 holes after hole 11. The broadcast also commented that it could be a remorse. However, he returned to the lead by catching a birdie in the last hole.

After the game, Reid was investigated by the competition committee members regarding the incident. In a broadcast interview, Reed said, “’None of our group players, 6 caddy, volunteers, and even one of the 7 people saw the ball bounce. He explained this to the competition committee and was judged to be dropped without penalty.’ The competition committee members replied, “We have coped very perfectly and there is no problem.”

Reid received two penalty strokes by improving the lie of the ball while making a practice swing at the 2019 Hiro World Championship. Reid initially denied it and accepted the penalty. Still, if the camera angle was different, it would not have looked like that.

Kim Yong-joon, a member of the KPGA, said, “If the lead lied, such as stating that the ball was not hit, it is a serious violation of the rules. Disqualification may be imposed or, in addition, a ban on participation in the game may be imposed. However, there is no evidence, and there is no way to discipline because Reed answered perfectly at the match committee.”

Hojun Sung Golf Reporter
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