Ryder Cup: The Captains’ Agreement Defines All the What Ifs, But Not Cheeseheads
The Ryder Cup Captains’ Agreement covers what can and can’t happen at the event, but it doesn’t cover things like the Euros wearing Cheeseheads, which of course they did on Wednesday prior to practice rounds to the delight of fans. It doesn’t cover silly costumes in the gallery or songs that can be sung. However, it will tell us what happens if Brooke Koepka’s wrists becomes too sore for him to play the singles on Sunday, and other things. But it may also deal with certain breaches of rules during play.
The ink has only been dry on the document for a few months, with Europe’s Ryder Cup Captain, Padraig Harrington, signing in May and Steve Stricker, US Captain, signing in August. The entire agreement is 16 pages in length, so no nudge-nudge, wink-wink, say no more Monty Python stuff going on for this contest.
“..no nudge-nudge, wink-wink, say no more Monty Python stuff going on ”
The first item is that the home team will be able to “influence and direct the set-up and preparation of the course.” The home team can, if it wanted to, modify the design, determine “fairway widths, rough heights, green speed and firmness.”
All changes had to be done by the Sunday prior to the matches. After that, daily decisions on things like green speeds and firmness, tee locations and hole locations are done by what is called The Match Committee which is a representative from Europe and the US.
The agreement defines the number of golf carts allocated to each team, which is six in case anyone wants to count. The carts can only follow certain routes on the course, and if they don’t, that cart can be ejected for the rest of the matches!
The home team gets to decide which of the partnership formats will be played first, and this year, Steve Stricker, US team captain, has decided to begin with foursomes or what we usually call alternate shot, followed by fourball, which we usually call better ball or best ball.
They expect to start the morning rounds at about 7:05 AM central daylight time and the afternoon rounds at about 12:10 PM.
Singles will begin at 11:04 on Sunday.
Daylight can sometimes be an issue in Ryder Cup play, and so they have even noted sunrise and sunset times. Sunrise is 6:42 AM, and sunset is 6:41 PM on Friday.
There will be 16 minutes between each group that tees off. And golfers have a grace period of five minutes beyond their tee time to hit the first shots in each match. If a golfer does not appear in time, he will lose the first hole. If he shows up after five minutes, he will lose his match. We all remember in 2012 when Rory McIlroy almost didn’t make his singles match because he was mixed up with time zones and thought he had another hour, but in reality, he didn’t. He needed a police escort.
There is an actual definition of “being on the first hole.” Players must be “within the gallery ropes/bike fence and/or blue lines/stakes defining the teeing area.” So, in McIlroy’s case, he didn’t need to hit a shot at the five-minute mark, he just needed to duck under the rope of the tee area. He made it.
In alternate shot, the same time frame exists. However, the player hitting second doesn’t have to make the five_minute mark so long as he is headed to the ball hit by his partner and is ready to hit the second shot in a timely fashion.
In better ball, the same time frame exists, but a partner can show up late with no penalty, and then the latecomer can join his partner between holes and begin play at the next tee.
There is an out for this called “exceptional circumstances.” No definition has been given. Something like meteor falls on Justin Thomas would be an exceptional circumstance, but of course, no one wants that.
In terms of who’s watch counts, it is the official referee’s “clock,” which is an atomic clock that deviates from accuracy by only 1 second in 100 million years, so there’s no arguing about who’s time is right.
And surprisingly while part of the team is playing, the players not in that session can still practice on the course beginning 40 minutes after all the matches of the session have started. But no practice is allowed to tee off after 10:40 AM.
There’s no making a putt after the players are finished with a hole. The way they describe it is: “If a player makes a practice stroke, rolls a ball or rubs the surface, he will be notified by the match referee that every time he does so again he will be in breach of the Condition.”
However, a golfer can complete the hole he is playing, even if he has already lost the hole, without penalty.
In singles, the penalty is loss of the next hole. In alternate shot, the penalty is loss of next hole. In fourball ( better ball), if one or both players do it, they lose the next hole.
Pairings for Friday are due to the PGA of America Rules Officials’ office by 3:15 on Thursday.
If there’s a need for a player to be withdrawn during play, his name must be submitted in what is called The Envelope by one hour after Saturday’s play. In that case, each team will receive ½ point. Singles pairings are also submitted by the same time.
Through the Opening Ceremonies, the captain on either squad may replace an injured or sick team member with another player, but after play starts, they can’t.
No one but a player’s caddie and the team captain can give a player advice. It must be in person and not over a walkie talkie or text or other such means.
And importantly the One-Ball rule is not in effect. When it was, players had to both play with the same ball. In those days it sometimes became hard to match up who could play with another guy’s ball. For instance, Tiger Woods used a softer golf ball than most players, and for that reason it was difficult to find another golfer who could use that kind of golf ball.
So, when the matches begin, remember that they have slightly different rules for this competition, some of them odd. But then again, no odder than wearing Cheeseheads.