Unplayable lie in bunker

[Dan_Callahan]

Is it possible that Paul Azinget really didn't know the rule for unplayable lie in bunker? He kept saying Tiger could take his ball out of the bunker and drop it. Not until checking with a rules official did he say the drop would have to stay in the bunker. That's one of the most basic and clear rules in the book. I can't believe a guy who played as long as Azinger did and who seems to be pretty sharp wouldn't know that rule.

[Jackson C]

Is it possible that Paul Azinget really didn't know the rule for unplayable lie in bunker? He kept saying Tiger could take his ball out of the bunker and drop it. Not until checking with a rules official did he say the drop would have to stay in the bunker. That's one of the most basic and clear rules in the book. I can't believe a guy who played as long as Azinger did and who seems to be pretty sharp wouldn't know that rule.

Was Tiger's ball unplayable?  If so, I am interested in the interpretation of unplayable.  He clearly could contact the ball.

[Dan_Callahan]

Whether he could make contact or not is irrelevant. You can declare a ball unplayable from the middle of the fairway if you want. But if you declare a ball unplayable in a bunker, you drop in the bunker unless you elect to replay the shot.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Is it possible that Paul Azinget really didn't know the rule for unplayable lie in bunker? He kept saying Tiger could take his ball out of the bunker and drop it. Not until checking with a rules official did he say the drop would have to stay in the bunker. That's one of the most basic and clear rules in the book. I can't believe a guy who played as long as Azinger did and who seems to be pretty sharp wouldn't know that rule.

Was Tiger's ball unplayable?

Yes, he could have declared it so

  If so, I am interested in the interpretation of unplayable.

Read the rule book

  He clearly could contact the ball.

That' got nothing to do with declaring your ball unplayable

[Patrick_Mucci]

Is it possible that Paul Azinget really didn't know the rule for unplayable lie in bunker? He kept saying Tiger could take his ball out of the bunker and drop it. Not until checking with a rules official did he say the drop would have to stay in the bunker. That's one of the most basic and clear rules in the book. I can't believe a guy who played as long as Azinger did and who seems to be pretty sharp wouldn't know that rule.

Dan,

I was shocked as well.

And he kept on repeating it.

He just mentioned, disparagingly, the folks on twitter, so he must have been harshly criticized by hordes of viewers

[Jackson C]

Whether he could make contact or not is irrelevant. You can declare a ball unplayable from the middle of the fairway if you want. But if you declare a ball unplayable in a bunker, you drop in the bunker unless you elect to replay the shot.

So McDowell had the choice to drop instead of chipping back in the middle of the bunker?  That would have left him in the same position he ended up in?

[Phil McDade]

Whether he could make contact or not is irrelevant. You can declare a ball unplayable from the middle of the fairway if you want. But if you declare a ball unplayable in a bunker, you drop in the bunker unless you elect to replay the shot.

So McDowell had the choice to drop instead of chipping back in the middle of the bunker?  That would have left him in the same position he ended up in?

Jackson:

McDowell may have thought a drop in the bunker would leave him a worse lie than a short chip. He ended up with a very good lie, that he converted for a solid up-and-down. Dropping from 6 feet high may have left him with a fried egg lie.

[Dan_Callahan]

He could've dropped, but dropping in a bunker usually gives you a plugged lie. I would usually elect to play the shot. However, I would've putted backwards. Better odds of keeping the ball on top of the sand. However, worked out great for him.

[Randy Thompson]

If you gave Tiger ten chances from the same position, how many times would he have gotten out I donīt think the shot was possible and if it was, no more than one in ten. Am I wrong, was it a makeable even for one of the great players? The seocnd shot also had a very low percentage of getting out considering the stance but that first looked to me near impossible.

[Tim Gavrich]

If taking an unplayable in a bunker means you have to drop it in the bunker, doesn't that erode the notion that bunkers are hazards? Does hazardness consist in the prohibition against grounding one's club? Or does it consist in the opportunity to take a penalty and remove oneself from it? I had always thought the latter, but evidently not.

[Dan_Callahan]

You can remove yourself from the bunker by going back and replaying the shot from its original position.

[Patrick_Mucci]

If you gave Tiger ten chances from the same position, how many times would he have gotten out I donīt think the shot was possible and if it was, no more than one in ten. Am I wrong, was it a makeable even for one of the great players? The seocnd shot also had a very low percentage of getting out considering the stance but that first looked to me near impossible.

Randy,

I think he could have gotten out, but would his ball have rolled back in ?

It seemed to me that he was trying to not just get the ball out of the bunker, but into the heart of the green.

His stance seemed like the ball wasn't in front of his left foot by much

If he takes an unplayable he's still in the bunker in 3, out in 4, two putts for double.

I think he thought he could advance it deep enough into the green to give him a long putt for par, two putts for bogey.

[Dan_Callahan]

I think Tiger made a mistake of ego. I think he doubted he could put it on the green and wanted to play out sideways. but you could hear his caddie say that the guy he played with yesterday got it out from the same position. Next thing you know, Tiger's aiming at the flag.

[Tim Gavrich]

You can remove yourself from the bunker by going back and replaying the shot from its original position.

Dan--

You can do that on any shot, in a hazard or not. That statement makes it seem like a bunker is "through the green." What distinguishes it and makes it a hazard?

[Jackson C]

I am also surprised Tiger tried that shot when there was a decent chance the ball would bounce back and hit him.
From the replay, it looked like it came close to hitting him.

[mike_beene]

Azinger also said he had checked with an official this morning and been told you could drop out but now we are getting conflicting reports.Do you believe that?Would love to have heard the back story as they tried to find a story to get them out of the mess.We used to call that blame storming.I would from now on get agreements with Azinger in writing.

[Randy Thompson]

I think Tiger made a mistake of ego. I think he doubted he could put it on the green and wanted to play out sideways. but you could hear his caddie say that the guy he played with yesterday got it out from the same position. Next thing you know, Tiger's aiming at the flag.

The fried egg didnīt help matters!

[Randy Thompson]

How bout the putter on nine, I know were all generals after the war but before he hit the shot I was going..wtf!

[mike_beene]

Dropping in the bunker seldom gives a good lie.MacDowell for that reason chipped the ball back away from the lip.

[Jon Byron]

Azinger fibbed on a rules issue at the Ryder Cup in Kiawah Island too!

[PThomas]

Azinger should know something about idiotic posts on Twitter

[JMEvensky]

Azinger also said he had checked with an official this morning and been told you could drop out but now we are getting conflicting reports.Do you believe that?Would love to have heard the back story as they tried to find a story to get them out of the mess.We used to call that blame storming.I would from now on get agreements with Azinger in writing.

And Azinger also whiffed on his early call about Scott possibly incurring a penalty when his ball rolled behind a green.

Given Azinger's own rules issues in the past,I'd think ESPN would have found somebody else to provide comment.

[Sven Nilsen]

Not to defend the guy as I'm not really a fan of his on-air presence, but is there any chance he was thinking about the relief available from the bunkers with standing water?  Was there a rule in effect for those situations?  I know Els played a shot from next to a puddle in a bunker on Friday or Saturday.  I don't recall exactly what was discussed regarding relief if his ball had ended up wet.

[mike_beene]

The standing water relief does not let you drop out of bunker

[Scott Stearns]

Yes it does.  Rule 25 allows for a penalty drop out of a bunker.