I’ve got a classic fourball Match play situation for you. It’s a veritable ‘You are the Ref’ for golf.
And I’m prepared to guarantee nearly every one of you reading it has been in this situation at least once in your time on the golf course.
So let’s end the suspense and introduce this week’s emailed question: “In a 4bbb match play my opponents have similar putts – one for a half and the other for the win.
“I have conceded the putt for a half and asked him to pick it up as I don’t want him to show his partner the line. This player proceeds to take his putt nevertheless. What is the ruling?”
What’s the score here, figuratively and metaphorically? Can you still hole out even if your putt has been conceded, or have you been robbed of a sneaky chance to give your partner a vital clue on where it might break?
Golfer putting | Source: Adobe Stock
Golf concession rules: Can I show my partner the line putt after a conceded putt?
Ah, the murky world of concessions. A simple gesture – or not as the case may be – that can see a surreal glide around a course suddenly turn ugly. Think Sergio Garcia and Matt Kuchar at the now defunct WGC Match Play Championship, or Suzann Pettersen and Alison Lee at the Solheim Cup.
Sometimes, when a putt is being given, misunderstandings can occur.
This question, though, has a very clear answer. It’s dealt with directly in the Rules of Golf, but you won’t find it in the section on concessions (Rule 3.2) or the chunky part of the book covering advice (Rule 10.2a).
Instead, we have to go all the way to Rule 23 and the pages covering Fourballs. While this format generally follows the same rules that govern individual stroke play or match play, there can be variations.
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Rule 23.6, which covers the side’s order of play, says partners can play in the order they consider best, adding “that means that when it is a player’s turn to play… either the player or their partner may play next”.
But, and it’s a big but, there is an exception. It is when the play of a hole can be continued after a stroke is conceded in match play.
The key is whether it would assist a partner in their efforts to sink their putt.
The rule says a player “must not continue play of a hole after the player’s next stroke has been conceded if this would help their partner”.
What if they ignore that and putt out regardless. There is no penalty and their score for the hole still stands.
What about their partner, who had a putt to win the hole? “The partner’s score for the hole cannot count for the side”.
Got a question for our expert?
Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.
What do you think of these golf concession rules? Let me know by leaving a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or get in touch on X.
Main image: Putting on the green | Source: Adobe Stock
