While the latest updates to the rules of golf allow greater leeway for the accidental double hit, we are pretty sure that doesn’t apply to these shenanigans.
The golfer in question has found himself on a sandy bank next to a pond.
His initial shot is fired into the bank and loops back.
He reacts instinctively in an effort to save his ball from a watery grave – and succeeds in style.
Rule 10.1a states: “If your club accidentally hits the ball more than once, there has been only one stroke and there is no penalty.”
“Accidental deflections are, by definition, an accident,” the USGA says. “The outcome in such cases is random and unpredictable, and it results in a disadvantage for the player as often as it results in an advantage.”
This regulation is in line with the modification they made for balls that unintentionally deflect off a player’s body when they are in motion and are no longer penalised.
“Treating all accidental deflections the same no matter who or what caused them will simplify the Rules by providing consistency.”
There have been several viral double-hit trick shots, but the USGA has made it clear that deliberate double hits are still sanctioned under the rules.
“The videos showing golfers deliberately hitting the ball twice (such as getting around a tree) are not allowed under the Rules. Most of these videos demonstrate a player making two strokes at the ball, with the second being made at a moving ball, which results in two penalty strokes. In total, the player has made two strokes and gets a two-stroke penalty.”
