Foul-mouthed Koepka fumes at rules officials – here’s why they made the call
The American sparked a Ryder Cup row when two officials refused him a free drop from a nearby drain. Our expert explains what the rules have to say
Take Brooks Koepka and a profanity-laced tirade and we got the Ryder Cup rules controversy we’ve been waiting for.
In his Saturday morning foursomes match at Whistling Straits, partnered with Daniel Berger and up against Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm, the American found his ball nestled in a patch of fescue off the 15th fairway.
With it lying close to the opening of a nearby drain, Koepka wanted relief and argued it would interfere with his swing.
Match referee David Price did not agree, though, and neither did a second official, Mark Litton, as both denied him a free drop.
That led to a sweary outburst from the US player, who told the pair of referees: “If I break my wrist, this is on f***ing both of you.”
He eventually played his shot and incredibly found the green as he and Berger halved the hole. The Spaniards, however, would go on to win the match 3&1.
Koepka’s antics caused fury on social media, with golf fans berating him for the extended row and for his response to the officials.
So why did the rules officials make the call?
The drain was classed as an obstruction. It was, obviously, immovable and immovable obstructions are one of four abnormal course conditions from which you can get free relief under the Rules of Golf.
Rule 16.1a says interference exists if a player’s ball touches, is in, or on, an abnormal course condition, or if it physically interferes ‘with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing’.
The rule concludes by saying if the abnormal course condition is ‘close enough to distract the player’ but doesn’t meet those requirements above, there’s no interference.
Both officials ruled the drain didn’t get in the way of the area of intended swing and so the fact it might prove a distraction to Koepka, who was worried about hitting it on his follow through off the back of a recent wrist injury, wasn’t enough to give him a free drop.
Koepka still had options available if he was concerned following the ruling. For example, he could have chosen to take unplayable ball relief but at the cost of a penalty stroke.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
