Integrity Rules

Tom Johnson from the State of Washington had a cool incident happen Thursday. Tom was (and still is today) the Referee for Tiffany Tavee. Tiffany had hit her tee shot into the pine straw on the 17^th hole. She was removing some Loose Impediments nearby. As she moved a twig (a loose impediment), her ball moved. Nobody but Tiffany saw this happen. Being a person of integrity, she called Tom over and told him what happened. Tom asked Tiffany if the movement of the twig caused her ball to move. Tiffany told him "yes". Under Rule 23, or the Loose Impediment Rule, it says if the player causes the ball to move then Rule 18-2a (Ball at Rest Moved) is applied. This means she received a one stroke penalty and was required to replace her ball.

One of the greatest things about this game is the integrity it instills in the players. Good job Tiffany.

Wendy Uzelac

USGA Director of Regional Affairs, Midwest Region