The problem with the rules that Patrick Reed faced during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open is one that Rory McIlroy also faced – without a rules official and practically without the fanfare.
Reed was allowed to take a drop of what he thought was a lie embedded in Saturday’s 10th hole, raising considerable speculation about its justification.
He abruptly picked up the ball, thought he was entitled to relief, and then called Officer Brad Fabel, who, after briefly testing the field, agreed and gave Reed the free kick. It continued to look like a hole and started the fourth round tied for driving at Torrey Pines with Carlos Ortiz.
Replays showed Reed’s ball bounced, which he later acknowledged would suggest he wasn’t incorporating, but no one was aware of it at the time.
Also on Saturday, McIlroy’s second shot in the 18th hole seemed to rest in the rough right and he thought his ball was clogged. McIlroy could be heard saying this to another player in the group, Rory Sabbatini, who, without inspecting the lie, signed McIlroy’s request for a reduction. No official has been called.
According to the PGA Tour, both issues have been addressed properly.
“It was reasonable for both players to conclude – based on the fact that they did not see the ball landing, but given the lie of the ball in soft conditions – to proceed as the rule allows a possible built-in ball,” Tour said in a statement. “They scored, picked up and evaluated the situation to determine if the ball was embedded.
“Patrick has taken a step further and called in a rules official to ensure that his assessment will not be questioned (although this step is not necessary). Both players have been given adequate relief under Regulation 16 / 3. The Committee is comfortable with the way both players proceeded given that they used the evidence they had at the time. “
Reed is facing considerable scrutiny of his action. The CBS broadcast team, including six-time major champion Nick Faldo, questioned how to incorporate a ball after jumping. Reed, who has had rules issues in the past, including the 2019 Hero World Challenge, later faced several questions from the press and said he thought he handled the issue correctly, given what he knew.
Reed later pushed against the detractors on Twitter and noticed that the same thing happened to McIlroy without any push.
https://t.co/qza5Aa1yrS. RORY MCILROY @McIlroyRory HE DID THE SAME THING AT HOLE 18 TODAY! AND HE NEVER CALLED AN OFFICIAL RULE FOR DECLARING THE BALL INCURRED. THE END OF THE STORY.
– Patrick Reed (@PReedGolf) January 31, 2021
“Rory McIlroy did the same thing on Hole 18 today!” Reed posted on Twitter. “And he didn’t even call an official to consider the ball embedded. The end of the story.”