Controversy Rocks Cup: Suspensions Debated; Cup Tainted

Monday, May 9th, 2005

The controversy surrounding the 2005 Phi Alpha Cup left a sour taste in the mouths of many participants

Winner will be debated for ages

May 9, 2005
In what may be one of the most egregious breaches of etiquette in golf history, Team 1998 took liberty with the Rules of Golf on the critical Par 3 16th hole during the pivotal Saturday Scramble match.

While standing over what would have been a huge birdie putt in a close one-stroke match, Stirling Bomar of Team 1998 allowed teammate John Stubbs to point out the line of his putt — a move strictly forbidden by Rule 8 of the USGA’s Rules of Golf:

8-2. Indicating Line of Play

b. On the Putting Green
When the player’s ball is on the putting green, the player, his partner or either of their caddies may, before but not during the stroke, point out a line for putting, but in so doing the putting green must not be touched. A mark must not be placed anywhere to indicate a line for putting.

Penalty for Breach of Rule: Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.

Although sinking the putt, Team 1998 failed to impose the two-stroke penalty on themselves and recorded a birdie instead of a bogey on their scorecard. Failure to record the infraction under the Rules of Golf should have given Team 1997 the points for the Saturday Scramble and ultimately, after splitting the Singles matches, the points necessary to take home the 2005 Phi Alpha Cup. The result was both teams laying claim to the Cup and a tarnished mark on one of sport’s most honorable events.

“If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is in the woods to see it fall, did it really fall? Or was it on the ground the whole time? Also, there’s the whole issue of whether it makes any noise on its way down,” said John Stubbs, the infractor. “The only difference here is that everyone on Team 1997 on the tee box saw me break Rule 8. Everyone except a USGA sanctioned rules official that is.”

“It’s a sad day for the Cup and a sad day for golf,” added Andy Sands, Team 1997’s strict constructionist captain. “I just hope the tournament committee will do what is right and make suspensions where they are warranted. America knows who the Cup belongs to in 2005.”

Closing ceremonies were cancelled on Sunday and both sides left Pinehurst without further comment.