Andrew Rice demonstrates a powerful short game technique that could help golfers improve their strike consistency around the greens. His “Rock ‘n Rise” drill focuses on generating better contact and control with wedge shots, a key skill for lowering scores.
Mastering the golf swing requires a delicate balance of technique and feel, especially when it comes to hand action through impact. Andrew Rice, a respected golf instructor, shares a simple yet effective drill to help players who struggle with scooping or flipping the club during their swing.
Understanding the correct setup distance from the ball when chipping is crucial for consistent short game performance. Andrew Rice, a respected golf instructor, shares valuable insights on this often overlooked aspect of chipping technique.
Andrew Rice, known for his consistent golf skills and insightful commentary, recently shared a glimpse into his practice routine focusing on 50-yard shots. His latest session shows noticeable improvement, highlighting the importance of short game precision for any serious golfer.
Andrew Rice recently shared a compelling video highlighting the tee shots of Mitch K., showcasing both style and effectiveness on the golf course. The clip captures Mitch’s confident swing and the resulting solid ball flight, emphasizing the improvements he has made.
A great example from the USGA drives the point home: Imagine a ball putted from the green into a bunker. Rule 18.1 helps players escape seemingly hopeless situations—instead of struggling in the sand, they can take a one-stroke penalty and replay from the original spot. This flexible rule offers more solutions than many amateurs and even pros realize.
Every golfer knows the frustration of a seemingly safe putt that rolls tragically into a bunker. But the rules don’t force you into a risky bunker shot—Rule 18.1 provides a smarter alternative. With just a one-stroke penalty, you can replay from where you last played. The best part? This rule applies anywhere—fairway, green, or rough.
As the USGA example shows, when faced with a bad bunker lie, retreating to the green is often the wiser move. Instead of gambling on an unpredictable sand shot, this rule turns disasters into manageable situations. Sometimes, a penalty stroke is a small price to pay for a safer outcome. This intentional flexibility saves players from countless tricky scenarios and highlights the strategic depth of golf.
“At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball or another ball from where the previous stroke was made. The player always has this stroke-and-distance relief option: No matter where the player’s ball is on the course, and even when a Rule requires the player to take relief in a certain way or to play a ball from a certain place. Once the player puts another ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance: The original ball is no longer in play and must not be played. This is true even if the original ball is then found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time.”
Many golfers underestimate the player-friendly nature of the rules—the principle of “play the ball as it lies” isn’t set in stone. Rule 18.1 proves it perfectly: Whether it’s a lost ball, out-of-bounds, or a botched putt like in the USGA video, restarting with a penalty stroke always provides an escape route.
Phil Mickelson’s four bunker shots at the 2025 PGA Championship are proof—even pros sometimes overlook this tactical advantage. Had he used Rule 18.1, taking a penalty to replay from his previous spot, the outcome might have been far better. A clear example of how this rule can turn disaster into control.
It was an eventful final day at TPC Sawgrass: in addition to the four-hour thunderstorm interruption and the postponement of the crucial playoff to Monday, another curious situation on Sunday of the Players Championship 2025 caused a stir: Bud Cauley, who had started in the final flight with Lucas Glover and J.J. Spaun, accidentally stepped on his fellow player Lucas Glover’s ball. But what do the rules of golf say about this?
Cauley was distracted by the action on the nearby 17th hole, where Rory McIlroy was about to tee off. The iconic par-3 with the island green has already provided plenty of drama, so it is understandable that Cauley also wanted to watch McIlroy’s approach from close up. However, he did not pay attention to what was directly in front of him – and soon buried the ball with his foot.
The scene is unusual, but the rules of golf in this case are clear:
“If it is known or virtually certain that an outside influence (including another player in stroke play or another ball) lifted or moved a player’s ball at rest, there is no penalty, and the ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated)” (Rule 9.6).
So the action had no consequences for either Lucas Glover or Bud Cauley – the ball was allowed to be put back in its original position without penalty.
An important distinction concerns the cause of the movement: if the ball is moved by natural forces such as wind or water, it may not be replaced; instead, it must be played from its new position as it lies. Slightly different rules apply on the green: if the ball has already been picked up and replaced and then moves again it must always be replaced, regardless of the cause.
At the World Wide Technology Championship, which took place from 7 to 10 November on the El Cardonal at Diamante golf course, Emilio Gonzalez from Mexico was disqualified after his second round due to ‘serious misconduct’.
According to golf.com, Gonzalez hit his first ball into a desert area on hole 15 on Friday and then played a provisional ball. He began searching for the first ball, and within three minutes a ball was found in the area in question. However, Gonzalez did not identify it and instead continued to play with the provisional ball. This behaviour violated Rule 18.3c (3), which states:
‘If the provisional ball has not become the ball in play and a ball is found that might be the original ball, the player must make all reasonable efforts to identify that ball. If the player fails to do so, the Committee may disqualify the player under Rule 1.2a if it decides that this was serious misconduct contrary to the spirit of the game.’
As Gonzalez had not made a ‘reasonable effort’ to identify his ball, according to the rules officer, he was disqualified.
The rules also state that the player may ask his teammates not to look for the original ball. However, they are not obliged to honour this request. If a ball is found, the player must identify it immediately (Rule 18.2a (1)). If the ball found is the original ball, it is in play and must be continued. The provisional ball is now considered to be the wrong ball and may no longer be played. According to Rule 6.3c, playing the wrong ball leads to the basic penalty of two strokes and must be corrected immediately, otherwise the player is disqualified.
Gareth Bale experienced a little furry disturbance at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. On Saturday, on his third round together with Daniel Brown at the DP World Tour Pro-Am tournament, Bale was chipping his ball onto a green on the Carnoustie Golf Links when a small enthusiastic four-legged friend came running up, grabbed the ball and then ran off with it towards the spectators.
Dog steals Gareth Bale’s ball 😂
🎥: DarrenMcRae3/X #dunhilllinks pic.twitter.com/VyJMQTTlqd — DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 5, 2024
Whilst this only happens now and again at professional tournaments, there are plenty of animals on local golf courses that could become too interested in the small white balls. So what should you do in this case? The video shows that the ball stops on the green just before the dog reaches the ball and removes it from its spot. The rules situation is therefore simple. According to Rule 9.6, the ball is simply returned to the place from which it was removed. If it is not quite certain where the ball was, the location is simply estimated.
The rule text reads as follows:
“If it is known or virtually certain that an outside influence (including another player in stroke play or another ball) lifted or moved a player’s ball at rest:
– There is no penalty, and
– The ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated).“
But what happens if the ball is picked up by an animal while it is still moving? This case is clarified in the clarifications to Rule 11.1b. The ball is then considered to have ‘come to rest on the animal’ and the player must claim penalty-free relief from the point at which the animal picked up the ball.
“If an animal picks up a ball in motion, the ball has come to rest on the animal and free relief must be taken using the point where the animal picked up the ball as the reference point.
For example, a ball played from the fairway is picked up by a dog while it is still in motion. The ball has come to rest on the animal at the point where the dog picked up the ball.
– If the ball was picked up on the fairway, a ball must be dropped within one club-length of and no nearer the hole than the point where the ball was picked up by the dog in the general area.
– If the ball was picked up on the putting green, a ball must be placed on the putting green on the estimated spot where the ball was picked up.”
At the start of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and its proud prize money of 20 million US dollars, Rory McIlroy had to accept a severe penalty. Golf Post takes a look at the rules and reveals where you can drop the ball in the event of a relief.
In Round 1 of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2024, Rory McIlroy’s ignorance proved to be the Northern Irishman’s undoing. In his first appearance on the PGA Tour this year, “Roars” had to accept a severe penalty after his tee shot on hole 7 of the Spyglass Hill Golf Course rushed into the botany of the par 5. The four-time major winner found his ball in the deep grass under one of the pine trees at Pebble Beach. Initially, the Northern Irishman considered hitting the ball from there before finally deciding to take relief. But when he dropped the ball, a rule change from the beginning of 2023 had consequences for the European’s scorecard.
McIlroy dropped the ball right of a tee, that was supposed to act as the reference line to the pin, with a clear conscience within one club length of the line. He continued his game and finished the par 5 with a bogey, but his relief to the right of the imaginary straight had an aftermath. What had been permitted since 2019 and until the beginning of 2023 has since been changed. A look at the official rules of golf provides information on the correct procedure for the drop. Rule 19.2b (relief “back on the line”) states this:
The player may drop the original ball or another ball (see Rule 14.3) behind the spot of the original ball, keeping the spot of the original ball between the hole and the spot where the ball is dropped (with no limit as to how far back the ball may be dropped). The spot on the line where the ball first touches the ground when dropped creates a relief area that is one club-length in any direction from that point, but with these limits:
Limits on Location of Relief Area:
McIlroy’s mistake was to take the relief one club length to the right of the reference line. The ball is allowed to fall on the line and roll up to one club length in either direction. However, Rory took a club length off the line and dropped it into what he thought was a relief area. That was still correct in 2019, but it changed in 2023. As a result, he acted against the rules by not dropping the ball again and was penalised two strokes under Rule 14.3 (4) (“What to do if Ball Dropped in Wrong Way”):
If the player does not drop again and instead makes a stroke at the ball from where it came to rest after being dropped in a wrong way:
If the ball was played from the relief area, the player gets one penalty stroke (but has not played from a wrong place under Rule 14.7a).
But if the ball was played from outside the relief area, or after it was placed when required to be dropped (no matter where it was played from), the player gets the general penalty.
It was this general penalty (two penalty strokes in counting play) that was to be McIlroy’s undoing on the leaderboard. The 34-year-old learnt of the penalty after the end of the round, accepted the rules’ interpretation and signed his scorecard. Three strokes under par became just one stroke under par, because his single bogey turned into a triple bogey. The officials discovered the offence through the use of the video team that takes care of the reviews.
Rory McIlroy analysed the offence after the round: “[U]nbeknownst to me, the rule changed in January 2023 where you used to be able to come back on-line, take a club length either side. That was changed in 2019 to be able to do that. I wasn’t aware that that rule was changed again in 2023, so I took a drop thinking of the 2019 rules when everything was sort of changed, not knowing that the rule was changed again in 2023, so got a two-stroke penalty there.”