Sometimes it can be hard to remember all the rules, especially when they are changed. In the heat of the moment, it can be easy to break said rules and not even realise it until it is too late. Sam Ryder found himself in this exact situation and is only grateful that it wasn’t during the actual event.
The Rule Change
The rule in question has to do with the free relief drop. It’s a rule only implemented in special conditions, like right after a rainstorm, as was the case before the Valspar Championship. The idea is to avoid mudballs with just a simple lift, clean, and place. There is controversy with the place part as the rule stated that it can be within one club length of where the ball was initially. The full club length was always a controversial part of this rule. It was widely seen as giving the player too much of an advantage. As a result, the PGA adopted the DP World Tour’s policy of a free relief drop. It was changed from a club-length relief to the length of the scorecard. Ryder was not used to this new rule, and given that the season is still young, it slipped out of his head during the Valspar Monday qualifiers.
Sam Ryder On The Accidental Cheating
During the Monday qualifier, Sam Ryder was doing pretty well for himself. He was under par and having a great time until it suddenly hit him that he had forgotten something important. He was, of course, using the old rules for the free relief. Ryder went on the Any Given Monday Podcast and explained the following to Ryan French.
“I withdrew because I unintentionally cheated, actually,” Ryder tells French. “Because it was lift, clean, and place, which I knew was totally my fault, but I hadn’t played lift, clean, and place yet under the new rule. And I played nine holes, and I was three under, and I was kind of cruising along. I think six under got through. I was playing fine, and I realized I had not been doing scorecard length. So it didn’t really gain anything for me, but definitely knew there were a couple situations where, so I withdrew.”
Ryder took the initiative as soon as he realized and decided that, for the qualifier, he needed to take the L. If he hadn’t noticed before the end of the round, someone would have, and he was able to do the right thing in this case. By accident, he gave himself an unfair advantage, and the only way he saw to undo the wrong was to step back.
Sam Ryder At Valspar
Despite withdrawing from the Monday Qualifier, Sam Ryder still had the chance to play in the main event. Ryder managed to get in as an alternate. During the championship, he even made the cut and was able to play all four rounds. In the end, he tied for 64th, so in some way it did work out for him. Next time, he definitely won’t forget the rule change.
Main Photo Credit: © Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
