Taking a "Drop".....Properly

This information was sent by the Louisiana Golf Association and is pretty self-explanatory.  We've seen all kinds of "drops" in our tournaments......and we could be penalized because of it.......

What is the proper method of taking a drop during the course of a round?

Dropping a ball during a round of golf is not uncommon. Whether taking free relief from a cart path or under penalty after hitting into a water hazard or deeming a ball unplayable, dropping is frequently the required method to put a ball back into play. Regardless of the reason for dropping, it is as much a part of golf as actually making a stroke. In fact, an entire Rule is dedicated to who, how and where to correctly drop a ball (Rule 20-2: Dropping and Re-dropping).

During the second round of the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Titleholders, first-round co-leader Sun-Young Yoo hit her drive near a bush on the 14th hole. After a failed attempt to move her ball down the fairway, Yoo decided to deem her ball unplayable, take a one-stroke penalty and drop the ball within two club-lengths of where the ball originally lay (Rule 28c).

When Yoo dropped the ball she held it at arm’s length and at a height somewhere between hip high and shoulder height. Rule 20-2a states that, “A ball to be dropped under the Rules must be dropped by the player herself. She must stand erect, hold the ball at shoulder height and arm’s length and drop it.”

While shoulder height allows for some latitude in where a ball may be dropped -- somewhere between the top and bottom of the shoulder – Yoo’s drop was clearly made from below where the Rules required, and since she did not lift the ball and correct her mistake (Rule 20-6) by re-dropping before playing her next stroke, Yoo was penalized one stroke under Rule 20-2a.

The current language requiring a player to drop from arm’s length and shoulder height was introduced in 1984. It was a simplification of the somewhat awkward previously required method of facing the hole, standing erect, and dropping the ball behind the player over the shoulder.

However, both methods were designed with the same intent: to standardize the method of dropping so different methods could not be employed to manipulate how much or how little a dropped ball might bounce and thereby either stay near the spot on which it is dropped or roll farther away from that spot. A player dropping from a lower height might find it easier to drop on a specific point and improve the chances that the ball will remain on the spot where it lands. Likewise, dropping from a higher point might allow the ball to bounce harder and roll further from where it strikes the ground.

While it is difficult to know whether Yoo actually gained any type of advantage from her lower-than-required drop, and she made it clear in her post-round comments that she had no intent to try to gain an advantage, the one-stroke penalty was still applied because dropping other than in accordance with the Rules could result in a player gaining an advantage.

SSWGA Turkey Shoot

The annual SSWGA Turkey Scramble was played again at Palmetto Country Club on November 13th.  Although there was a slight delay due to frost on the greens, twenty-seven ladies braved the cold weather to enjoy a fun day in this three- and four-lady scramble format.  It was probably a little more challenging for a couple ladies who forgot their clubs!

 

The winners were:

FIRST PLACE shot 67:

Cathy Buckley (BWGA), Grace Ireland (PCC) and Pat Miller (BWGA)

 

SECOND PLACE shot 69:

Moise Allen (STCC), Jimmie Zey (PCC), Pat Rice and Marie McFarland (BWGA)

 

THIRD PLACE shot 70:

Marianne Leslie (STCC), Becky Hollier (WGAS), Theresa Kruse (PCC), Jo Glezen (BWGA)

 

FOURTH PLACE shot 71:

Robbie Fisher (BWGA), Joyce Middleton (ERCC), Susan Berry and Janet Sabo (NHGC)

 

Closest to the Pin:

#3 Teri McGuire (WGAS)

#11 Marianne Leslie

#17 Jimmie Zey

 

The next SSWGA event is on December 4th for the Jingle Bell Scramble in conjunction with the SWGA group and will be held at Northwood Hills Golf Club at 10:00am.  BRING AN UNWRAPPED TOY FOR TOYS FOR TOTS.

 

SWGA Turkey Shoot

The annual Palmetto Turkey Shoot for SWGA members was held on November 8 at Palmetto Country Club, with forty-six ladies participating.  So much to be thankful for:  BEAUTIFUL day, really fun ladies, super fellowship, wonderful food, and prizes to half of the field.  We send a special thanks to Chef Danny Beavers and his crew for the delightful lunch and "chicken biscuits" for breakfast.  What more could you ask for?

I know....if you can't get a hole in one, how about an Eagle?  The first place team of Kathy Davis, Kathleen McCoy, Theresa Kruse and Julie Butterfield did just that: an eagle on #16, which ended up pushing them into first place, just one stroke ahead of second place team Buckley.

Other winners were:
2nd place: Cathy Buckley, Joyce Middleton, Phyllis Graybiel, and Donna Ihle (65)
3rd place: Suzanne Tinsley, Billie Jean Reasor, Linda Colvin, and Mary Moore (66)
4th place: Teri McGuire, Jerry Hobson, Bobbke Almond, and Susan Berry (67 winning the scorecard playoff with the
5th place:  Shirley Pettitt, Becky Farr, Phyllis Ryan, and Grace Ireland (67)
6th place: Jimmie Zey, Linda Heins, and Pat Rice (68)

The next SWGA event is the Jingle Bell scramble at Northwood in conjunction with the SSWGA ladies on December 4th with a 10am shotgun.  This one is also a 4-lady scramble, so sign up and join in the fun!  You need to bring an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots for this tournament.

I apologize for the quality of the pictures.  I forgot my camera and had to borrow one, so I wasn't familiar with it and got some not-so-sharp pictures.  Enjoy what you can see!!!

Westwood/SSWGA Halloween Scramble

The annual Halloween 4-lady scramble was held on October 31st at Westwood Golf Club, sponsored by the Westwood Ladies Association in conjunction with the SSWGA group.  Once again, we had beautiful weather and wonderful food.  Approximately 40 ladies participated and enjoyed homemade goodies after the event.

Road Runner 2012

Once again, the East Ridge Ladies Golf Association annual Road Runner tournament was a tremendous success, with eighty ladies participating, and numerous others that had to be turned away.  The weather was ideal, the course was beautiful, the food was wonderful, and the fellowship was....priceless!

Festivities started with the practice round on Oct. 23rd, followed by a putting contest that involved putting your way around a seemingly dense punch of hole combinations.  Donna Cobb was the winning "putter" for the evening.  After the contest, there was tasty hors d'oeuvres and drinks and a wealth of fun.

Tournament day started with a 9:00am shotgun with ten 2-lady teams in each flight, playing the scramble format.  When the scores were tallied, the overall low gross winners were Connie Pharis and Mary Coker with a nice score of 66.  The overall low net score was 50, scored by Mary Gallagher and Joyce Middleton.  Great golfing, gals!

In addition to the first gross and three net winners in each flight, there were winners for closest to the pin and longest drive in each flight.  And many, many ladies won really nice door prizes like golf bags and sunbrellas. 

Tournament Chairman Sherry Shields recognized all her team during the very tasty awards luncheon as well as the course management team and many volunteers.  Thanks to everyone for making the tournament such a success.

Barbara Faye White Cup Team Matches

The 2012 Edition of the Barbara Faye White Cup Team competition is now history.  Fifty-six ladies participated in the two day event held at Olde Oaks on October 16 and 18.  This event pits the ladies' associations from east of the Red River against the ladies' associations west of the river.

This year we had thirteen 2-lady teams for each side on both days.  The 2-lady scramble format this year was handicapped for the first time since the event became the BFW Cup.  After the first day, the West (green) team had won 8 1/2 matches while the East (blue) team won 4 1/2 points.  It could have gone either way after Day 1. 

Day 2 started with absolutely beautiful weather and very high spirits with both teams anxious to take home the trophy.  After the day was done, the West team prevailed by winning a total of 18 of the 26 total points, regaining the trophy after losing the matches the previous two years.

West team ladies are members of East Ridge Country Club, Southern Trace Country Club, Northwood Hills Golf Club, and Querbes Park Golf Club.  Players that weren't present for the West team picture are Joyce Middleton and Nancy Young. 

East team ladies are members of Fox Run at Barksdale AFB, The Golf Club at StoneBridge, and Palmetto Country Club.  Players that weren't present for the East team picture are Brenda Graves, Mary Jo Gray, Susan Harkins, Marianne Leslie, Teri McGuire, Connie Pharis, Billie Jean Reasor, Jane Smith, and Suzanne Tinsley.

Lillian Granger (STCC) was the Team Match Chairman this year and with the help of Kathy Davis and co-team captains from all clubs, made this a successful tournament, especially enlight of the fact that Lillian volunteered to take the job just a few months before the tournament when Donna Phillips moved out of town.  Thanks for your hard work.  And thanks to all the players for participating in your organization's competition.

LWGA Senior Championship

Beautiful Koasati Pines Golf Course in Kinder, LA, was the venue for this year's LWGA Senior Championship.  After seven inches of rain two days before the tournament, the course was "cart path only" the first day and was a real challenge with lots of mud and about 20-30 mph winds. 

Seventy ladies made the trip in spite of the weather and seven of those seventy were our own SWGA ladies:  Mary Jo Gray, Debbie Magee, Cathy Buckley, Shirley Pettitt, Donna Cobb, Kathleen McCoy and Martha Lawhorne.  Only one of our players won a prize, but everyone was a winner!!!

Shirley Pettitt of the Broadmoor Ladies Group won top honors in her Second Flight with scores of 94 and 87.  Great playing Shirley!

The overall champion was Julie Harrison with scores of 81 and 69 and the super senior champion was Mary Capouch who scored 83 and 88.  Great playing ladies!

For a schedule of next year's venues, check out the bottom area of this blog.  In addition to the State tournaments, the Southern Senior (15 states) Championship will be held nearby in Tuscaloose, AL at The Colony next year.

Squire Creek Invitational

The Squire Creek Invitational was held September 12th this year and I'm a bit late in getting even the little bit of info I have to share.  There were many, many of our local Shreveport/Bossier ladies in the tournament, but it was next to impossible to catch up with everyone prior to tee time as everyone was scattered in all directions.  I got very few pictures and I don't have a list of winners, but the leaderboard pictures are included in the slideshow pictures.  Enjoy what little there is.....