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Reporting a bug, Bizarre interpretation of USGA Rule 26-1, Congressional #11.

• ahades 773 Posts

  Tue, Aug 16 2011 8:45 PM

  My fellow playing competitor was unable to use the "submit problem to WGT" function because he was reacting as any member would (attempting to save what was left of a rated tournament round) due to the following:

  During a rated round, a legend tiered player who was six-under par through 10 holes found himself 234 yards to the green at Congressional’s 11^th.  Attempting to adjust for an eleven-mph wind blowing toward the right, the legend tier player hits a hybrid but slightly pushes it a little right as it bounces twice on the thick rough to the right of the 11^th green before bouncing into the water.

  What happens next is beyond utter disbelief.  The wgt software instead of proceeding under USGA Rule 26-1(b) or c-(i), where the next shot is a drop in the deep rough to the right of the green where the ball last crossed the hazard; instead uses rule 26-c(ii) and puts the legend tier player DIRECTLY BEHIND A TREE on the OTHER SIDE of the water hazard, 50 yards east of the green in 40/50 rough.  His only option was to chip 3 yards sideways, then fortuitously get a 30/40 lie in the rough in hopes of an approach shot back over the water and now facing overhanging branches from the ubiquitous tree.

  Clearly, this is a monumental bug in the software as not even the USGA would condone such an unlikely drop especially at a major championship.

  Please resolve.

  Respectfully, ahades (witness to the event, 10:27pm EST, 8/16/11)

• oilyrag 875 Posts

  Wed, Aug 17 2011 3:07 AM

  got a question first, then i'll give an answer.

   

  exactly where did it cross the hazard?

• azsstone 58 Posts

  Wed, Aug 17 2011 5:52 PM

  I was playing the shot from the left side of the fairway. It hit on the green and rolled across the green at an angle, then went down over the bank and into the water about pin high.

  My shot was from the fairway and at no time did I cross the water and I didn't need to. The water runs parallel with the green and I went into the water from off the green. What ticked me off was the fact that I was given a lie against the base of the tree with it between me and the green and no chance to hit to the green. 

  azsstone

• oilyrag 875 Posts

  Thu, Aug 18 2011 1:21 AM

   

  i guessed it was going to be something like that, but wanted to make sure.

   

  i had, what i thought was a strange drop at kiawah, see

  2nd shot

  http://www.wgt.com/gameclient.aspx?view=showReplay&JSON=%257B%2520%2522GUID%2522%2520%253A%2520%2522b536f9fd-5110-4275-880c-9f3b0098e7ce%2522%252C%2520%2522Brand%2522%2520%253A%2520%2522undefined%2522%2520%257D

  4th after penalty - in 60 - 70% rough.

  http://www.wgt.com/gameclient.aspx?view=showReplay&JSON=%257B%2520%2522GUID%2522%2520%253A%2520%252213d200c2-04bc-46e7-8061-9f3b009971c0%2522%252C%2520%2522Brand%2522%2520%253A%2520%2522undefined%2522%2520%257D

  i was going to suggest to wgt a full implementation of rule 26, but a quick search of the forum show posts over 2 years ago asking for the same thing, so looks like it's the last thing on the list for them, well it requires a lot of user interaction to do it correctly.

  for your shot it was not a bug. as the op should probably know, it is the committee that defines hazards on a course, not congressional, usga, r&a. the committee here is wgt.

  you went into a water hazard, not a lateral water hazard. i have not yet found a lateral water hazard, therefore rule 26 1 c is never used. what is used is a "butchered" rule 26 1 b - drop behind the hazard (it doesn't matter from which side you crossed the hazard margin), on a line keeping the point at which you crossed between you and the pin.

  here's the butchered bit. normally you should be allowed to go back on a line as far as you wish, but with no user interaction, the software drops at the nearest point to the hazard.

  i messed around on that hole, to get a similar drop, see

  shot into hazard

  http://www.wgt.com/gameclient.aspx?view=showReplay&JSON=%257B%2520%2522GUID%2522%2520%253A%2520%2522612cc20e-ce3c-442d-b8ba-9f4200b23d77%2522%252C%2520%2522Brand%2522%2520%253A%2520%2522undefined%2522%2520%257D

  drop place, other side of hazard

  http://www.wgt.com/gameclient.aspx?view=showReplay&JSON=%257B%2520%2522GUID%2522%2520%253A%2520%25226c42f53f-f5a8-4ab1-b0aa-9f4200b2d456%2522%252C%2520%2522Brand%2522%2520%253A%2520%2522undefined%2522%2520%257D

  sometimes the software chooses to use rule 26 1 a - drop at the nearest point from where the original shot was played.

  i don't know what order, if any, the software uses, and unless wgt reply then we won't know, not that it really matters, as with above, if there is no user interaction we don't get a choice.

  so it's a case of just suck on it til wgt try to implement user interaction.