Seve in trouble...again.
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Playing the golf ball as it lies is fundamental to the game and there's a famous incident involving Seve Ballesteros playing in the US Masters, which illustrates this perfectly.
The Spaniard could be intimidating for officials if there was the slightest chance that he might get a ruling in his favour. To say he used to con them would be unfair but he certainly did enough with his attitude and presence to make them question their own judgement at times.
Invariably this would end up with his getting his own way with a free drop or questionable relief.
However, on one occasion at Augusta National, after the match official shied away from making a decision in Seve's favour, a senior referee was called.
Ballesteros as has been his custom throughout his career was wayward off the 13th tee at Amen corner and after rattling around in the tall pines, his ball came to rest in a horrid spot from which even the Spaniard with his powers of recovery could not see a line to the green.
He desperately wanted a yard of relief from damp ground by Rae's Creek, to give him a tiny window of opportunity and the official was on the point of capitulating when he decided to call for a second opinion.
The R&A's Michael Bonallack (now Sir Michael), a former multi-Amateur champion, knew Seve of old and detected he might be up to his old tricks.
Briefed by the official and with Ballesteros anxious to give his point of view, Bonallack waved him away addressed the ball with an imaginary club and nonchalantly said 'Play it Seve!' and walked away.
The great champion nodded with due deference, muttered 'okay' and chipped out sideways.
The first Rule of Golf states: "The Game of golf consists of playing a ball from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke, or successive strokes, in accordance with the Rules."
However, the Rule book tramples through a further 50 pages before confirming in Rule 13.1 "A ball must be played as it lies (from the position it comes to rest on the course), unless the Rules provide otherwise."
Here are a few tips linked to this basic Rule, of which you may not be fully aware:
*You cannot improve your lie by removing, pressing down sand or loose spoil used to replace divots. And to be removed as a loose impediment, a divot must be completely detached.
*A player must not improve, or allow to be improved, the position or lie of his ball except in fairly (what is reasonably necessary in normal circumstances) taking his stance. For example you may not stand on a branch or hook it against another to prevent it interfering with your swing.
*You may ground your club only lightly, not press it against the ground, unless eliminating irregularities on the teeing ground.
*Moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed, including immovable obstructions is not allowed. Nor is moving obstructions defining out of bounds.
*A player is entitled to relief (usually by raking) to recreate his original lie when his lie in a bunker is affected by another player's stroke or stance. He may remove the sand from the ball, lift, clean and replace the ball.
*A lie affected by a pitchmark through the green (excluding hazards, teeing ground or putting green) does not qualify for relief unless the pitchmark was made after the player's ball came to rest.
Penalty for failure to play the ball as it lies is loss of hole in matchplay or a two-stroke penalty in strokeplay.
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