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An unbelievable rules blunder from Mickelson, committee at the Presidents Cup

Published

10 years ago

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The good news: Despite a blunder and an almost inconceivable lapse on the part of the rules committee at the Presidents Cup, Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson managed to halve their match with Jason Day and Adam Scott.

The bad news: Well, pretty much everything that happened on the seventh hole for the U.S. side.

All square with Jason Day and Adam Scott in their fourball match, Phil Mickelson decided to put a firmer golf ball in play on the par-five seventh hole, apparently believing it would give him a better chance of reaching the green in two.

Mickelson, reportedly, thought he was in the clear as there is no one-ball rule in Ryder Cup competition when the event is held in the U.S. Thus, Lefty seems to have assumed similar standards applied to Presidents Cup competitions outside of the U.S.

Unfortunately, he was wong.

In Presidents Cup play, the one-ball rule is in effect. Thus, a player cannot switch the type of ball he is playing during a round.

Here’s some clarification on the rule from the USGA’s Decisions in the Rules of Golf.

Rule 15-1: Changing golf balls during a hole or a stipulated round: “…When changing balls, the player is permitted to substitute a ball of another brand or type unless the Committee has adopted the One Ball Condition of Competition (see Appendix I; Part C; Section 1c). This optional condition (usually referred to as ‘The One Ball Rule’) is generally adopted only in events that are limited to professional golfers or highly-skilled amateur golfers. Generally, this condition of competition is not adopted in club-level competitions.”

“I tried to put a firmer ball in play,” Mickelson said of the decision. “As we were walking down after I did it, I was sure there was no one ball rule, I was there with captain Haas and said ‘Will you just check?’ We’ve never really had it and I didn’t think much about it. But it’s my responsibility to know that.

What they found out, additionally, was that the penalty for such an offence is a “one hole adjustment” i.e. Mickelson and Johnson immediately went from all-square to one-down

Unfortunately, again, it was at this point a secondary blunder occurred.

A rules official incorrectly told Mickelson he was disqualified from the hole, so Phil picked up, leaving Johnson against Day/Scott for the hole. Day won the hole and secured another point, which put Mickelson/Johnson two-down.

The Match Committee got it wrong. As USA Today’s Steve Dimeglio explained, “In fact, Mickelson could have actually played out the hole – either with the wrong ball or after putting the correct ball back into play – and tied Day with a birdie of his own, which then would have meant the Americans would have lost the hole just once because of his breech of the rules.”

And under Decision 34-2/6 of the Rules of Golf, there’s no way to rectify the error. According to a Committee statement, “Once any player in the match plays a subsequent stroke allowing a correction could potentially undermine the strategy already employed by both sides in the match in completing the hole.”

“We’ve never had a one-ball rule that I can think of in these events, or at least that I was aware of. But it’s never been an issue, either. Obviously as a player, you need to know that. You need to know the rules and if you have a question, you do it beforehand.”

It doesn’t appear the blunder will haunt Mickelson, as he offered up a classic FIGJAM quote post-match: “I feel like we spotted the Internationals’ best team two holes and they still couldn’t beat us. Just saying.”

 

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Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Shack222

    Oct 11, 2015 at 2:50 am

    By taking 2 different balls out on the course he shows that he had already decided to use this tactic in practise, and he only thought to question wether it was allowed AFTER he’d actually done it???? Stupid man

    Reply Report comment

  2. BT

    Oct 10, 2015 at 6:25 pm

    It makes no sense to me that you can play out the hole with an illegal ball. So on a par 5 you switch balls to a Pinnacle because you think you won’t get on in 2 with your regular ball. You sink the eagle putt for the win but you lose a hole under one ball rule, effectively halving the hole when you expected to lose. I think you should be dq’ed for the hole/s plus one hole penalty. Without the dq the gain might be worth incurring the penalty.

    Note: matchplay was invented before computers. A penalty is not to lose ‘the’ hole but to lose ‘a’ hole. Two 19th century Scotsmen kept track in their heads (2 up, 3 down etc) not filling + or – on a computer leaderboard where there was no space for penalty loss of holes. So for Phil to say they lost the 7th twice is to not understand matchplay.
    (And btw Ben, the GolfWRX audience is worldwide so the half in the match isn’t universally good news for your readers.)

    Reply Report comment

  3. Gives

    Oct 10, 2015 at 3:56 am

    Phil also blundered by making this blunder and exposing the pathetic nature of the American rules in Ryder Cup. Now everybody knows that the Ryder Cup in the US is considered a “club” competition and not a professional one, played with amateur rules.

    Reply Report comment

  4. Steve

    Oct 9, 2015 at 7:25 pm

    Thanks Phil we all now know for a fact at least two of Callaways balls perform different enough that a pro would change to get more distance…Wonder how much of this ball switching goes on during regular PGA events as there is no ONE BALL RULE in PGA tour events???

    Reply Report comment

    • 1badbadger

      Oct 10, 2015 at 3:24 am

      PGA Tour events ARE played under the one ball condition…they are not allowed to switch to a different model during a round.

      Reply Report comment

  5. Brian

    Oct 9, 2015 at 3:30 pm

    FIGJAM

    Reply Report comment

  6. Tom

    Oct 9, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    This was a regular comedy act unfolding before our eyes.

    Reply Report comment

  7. Mb

    Oct 9, 2015 at 2:14 pm

    still can’t get over that Phil quote haha, just classic. FIGJAM for life

    Reply Report comment

  8. ooffa

    Oct 9, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    Maybe he had bet against himself?

    Reply Report comment

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

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GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

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See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

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Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

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