Temptations of Cheating and Penalties for Ignorance of Rules Common
54% of PGA Caddies Witnessed Incidents... Calls for Stronger Referee Deployment
On June 16, at the 15th hole of the first round of the DB Group Korea Women's Open Championship held at Rainbow Hills CC in Eumseong, Chungbuk, Yoon Ina drew criticism for playing a lost ball as if it were her own. [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] Yoon Ina (19), who emerged as a new star in the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) with her long drives comparable to those of male players, was recently revealed to have committed cheating during a tournament in June. This has sparked calls for the introduction of referees in professional golf tournaments.
Golf is commonly known as the only sport without referees. The first chapter of the golf rulebook states, "Golf is played, for the most part, without the supervision of a referee or umpire."
However, referees do exist in some form. Officials called Rules Officials serve as a kind of referee in golf tournaments. But their role differs from referees in other sports who oversee every move of the players.
According to the KLPGA, Rules Officials intervene only when there is a disagreement among players regarding the rules or when the relief procedures are ambiguous, to make accurate rulings. When players ask for a ruling, these officials move to the players’ location, assess the situation, and then make a decision based on the rules.
Due to this unique characteristic of golf, players are exposed to temptations to cheat, and there are frequent cases of players accidentally violating rules and receiving penalties. This has led some to argue for the necessity of referees who supervise players’ play.
In fact, Yoon was at the center of criticism for a 'wrong ball' play during the first round, 15th hole, of the DB Group Korea Women's Open Championship held on June 16 at Rainbow Hills CC in Eumseong, Chungbuk. She voluntarily reported a month later that she had played a lost ball found in the rough as if it were her own ball while searching for her ball after the tee shot.
In an official apology sent on the 25th of last month, she stated that there was no intent to cheat and said, "It is entirely my fault, and I sincerely apologize." Yoon also added that she would not participate in the remaining tournaments this season as a form of self-reflection. However, according to a media report, her caddie had informed her of the possibility of disqualification under the rules, but she ignored it.
A 2011 survey conducted by the American golf magazine Golf Magazine among 50 caddies active on the PGA Tour found that 54% had witnessed players cheating during matches. One caddie who participated in the survey testified, "The ball was in the rough, and the player took out a 3-wood to tamp down the grass behind the ball to make it easier to hit, then shot with a 9-iron." This violates the rule that "the course must be played as it lies."
Players sometimes unintentionally violate rules due to confusion. Unlike standardized venues in other sports, golf players face various situations depending on weather and terrain, which can lead to unintentional rule violations.
Dylan Frittelli, who has played on the PGA Tour for over 10 years and has won tournaments, was penalized two strokes for a rules violation on the final day of the RBC Heritage tournament in April. His tee shot on the 6th hole (par 4) flew into the woods and got caught on a branch higher than his height. After some thought, he stood just behind the ball and struck it with a putter in a hammering motion. This was deemed a violation of the rule against "making a stroke while standing on or across the line of play," resulting in a two-stroke penalty.
Golf officials acknowledge the practical difficulties but believe there is a need to discuss placing referees to supervise players’ play.
Professor Lee Jaepil of the Golf Industry Department at Konkuk University Graduate School of Industry said, "Video review cannot prevent players’ mistakes in advance," and added, "There are many cases where actions judged by players themselves as not violating rules later become ambiguous." He suggested, "While it may not be feasible to supervise every play, there seems to be a need to discuss increasing the number of on-site officials."
A player active in the KPGA also argued for increasing the number of Rules Officials, saying, "Even if only one official is assigned per group, it could prevent rule violations, whether intentional or not."
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