[Golf Rules... Knowledge is Power] When the Ball Falls into a Penalty Area

Choi Kyung-ju Invitational 4R Hole 18 Situation
Jang Yu-bin's Tee Shot Flies into Left Water Hazard
Ball in Water but Par Save Successful After Layup
Play Possible After 1 Penalty Stroke and Drop

Golf has no referees. It is a "gentleman's sport" where golfers play by following the rules themselves. The golf rules are "assistants" created to help with play. If well understood and properly applied, they can greatly aid in score management. These are golf rules that weekend golfers must know.

Jang Yubin is making an iron shot at the 6th hole of the 4th round of the Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational.
[Photo by KPGA]

The "young gun" Jang Yu-bin made a bold move. It was on the 18th hole (par 5) of the 4th round at the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational (total prize money 1.25 billion won), held on the 6th at Ferrum Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province (par 72, 7,331 yards). Before the final hole, he was in 2nd place, one stroke behind Lee Soo-min. If he could make a birdie on the par 5 hole, he could push the match into a playoff.

However, Jang Yu-bin made a mistake from the tee shot. He put too much power into it. The tee shot hooked to the left and landed in a penalty area. After diligently searching for the ball, he confirmed it was in the water. Jang Yu-bin chose a "high risk, high return" strategy. He decided to lay up without incurring a penalty stroke. He took the shot without touching the club in the penalty area.

He succeeded in retrieving the ball from the water. He aimed for the green with his third shot but it was short, and the fourth shot did not go into the hole either. Ultimately, he made the par putt and finished the tournament. He finished as runner-up by one stroke. According to golf rules, when the ball is in a penalty area such as a water hazard, the player may take a one-stroke penalty and drop the ball at a spot not closer to the hole to continue play.

Jang Yu-bin is a promising player who won a team gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last October as a national representative. In the fall of the same year, he turned professional and joined the KPGA Tour. Since starting his professional career in earnest, he has been on a steep upward trajectory. In August last year, he lifted the winner's trophy at the KPGA Tour Gunsan CC Open as an amateur. This year, he successfully defended his title at the Gunsan CC Open.