What I believe we know
1) nobody involved with the decision believed the ball bounced.
2) it was very wet
3) Reed is by many accounts a dick
4) Brad Fabel was called in and checked the pitch mark confirming it was embedded in a pitch mark
5) from there, the actual officials, and I knew Brad pretty well, we’re satisfied with The procedure done
What I’d like to know.
Did Reed tell people he was checking to see if it was plugged. I have heard he did
When he lifted the ball and set it down, did that break any actual rule? I have done the same thing after absentmindedly cleaning a ball in a rainstorm waiting for an official to arrive. So I would sit the ball down after marking if I was waiting for a ruling. Did this maybe three or four times
What was his marker doing? I would have been there checking.
When I played a hundred years ago, the ball had to “break the surface” (not official wording) to be granted relief. I dropped a ball once from the old shoulder high and it popped into its own dent mark. I asked if it plugged again and was told nope. Play on. If Fabel felt enough to give relief it had to be pretty obvious
So, that leads me to this. People seeing the ball bounce on tv believe there is no way the ball plugged. I feel the same, and I doNt care about Rory, though he is getting a pass given the commentary IMO.
I mentioned earlier that I had a tee shot in a QSchool finals kick right on a soggy fairway, and settle down a pace or two from where I know it landed. It was in a pitch mark from another ball. I knew it wasn’t mine DUE TO BEING ABLE TO SEE IT BOUNCE. Terrible break at the time all things considered, but it was pretty obvious.
As a player, when I couldn’t see my ball walking up in those conditions, I would always have a concern it was plugged. If it looked like it might be, I would check. Different procedure back then.
I don’t believe Reed broke any rule
And I do t believe the situation created a breach of the spirit of the rule, which I do t really understand anyway. Rules are black and white.
Any player but Reed this thread is hardly existent.