The 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club

Preferred Lies In Place For Opening Fourballs

Steven Franklin, Press Officer
September 22, 2006

Andy McFee, chief referee for The 2006 Ryder Cup, announced this morning that preferred lies will operate during the opening four fourball matches.

McFee said: “We will be playing Preferred Lies in the morning fourballs of The 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club. We will have four very experienced referees, led by The European Tour’s John Paramor, with the four matches to take a close look at the amount of mud of the balls and the amount of disturbance to the flight of the ball.

“The decision as to whether we continue with Preferred Lies in the following sessions, beginning with today’s afternoon foursomes, will then be based on fact rather than speculation.”

NB: A ball lying on a closely-mown area through the green may be lifted without penalty and cleaned. Before lifting the ball, the player must mark its position. Having lifted the ball, he must place it on a spot within six inches of and not nearer the hole than where it originally lay, that is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

A player may place his ball only once, and it is in play when it has been placed (Rule 20-4). If the ball fails to come to rest on the spot on which it is placed. Rule 20-3d applies. If the ball, when place, comes to rest on the spot on which it is placed and it subsequently moves, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other Rule apply.

If the player fails to mark the position of the ball before lifting it or moves the ball in any other manner, such as rolling it with a club, he incurs a penalty of one stroke.