The nerve of this guy! First, he leaves his partner in the lurch by being late for their four-ball match. Then, as he shows up halfway into the hole, he starts to guide his partner as if he\u2019s his caddie. He\u2019s cleaning clubs, giving advice, and then he reads the putt correctly that led to his partner winning the hole without him!<\/p>\n
You thought if a player has to go it alone in a four-ball match because his partner is a no-show, that late-arriving golfer can\u2019t become part of the match until the next hole begins.<\/p>\n
Well, actually, that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n
Rule 23.4 covers this situation: \u201cAn arriving partner who is not allowed to play on a hole may still give advice or help to the other partner and take other actions for the other partner on that hole.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an interesting wrinkle. Although the other side just lost one of their two potential scores that could have won or halved the first hole with that player\u2019s late arrival, having a defacto caddie could come in handy.<\/p>\n
Remember, it\u2019s not necessary for both partners to be present for any or all of a match. At the 2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, the team of Chip Brooke and Marc Dull won their first-round match, but Brooke had to leave to attend his daughter\u2019s high-school graduation. Dull played on and won the Round of 16 match by himself (but then lost in the quarterfinals). Had Dull won again on his own, Brooke had planned to be back for the semifinal match and that would have been fine to do so under the Rules of Golf.<\/p>\n
The two-on-one scenario often plays out when a partner gets injured, but just because that player can\u2019t swing, it doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t read putts or find potentially lost golf balls.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that if your sidelined partner does anything to violate the Rules of Golf, you are responsible for his or her actions. An example would be standing behind you on your line of putt as you make the stroke.<\/p>\n
You might wonder what is considered \u201clate\u201d in a four-ball match? What would prevent your partner from sprinting from the parking lot just to take part in the opening hole of the competition?<\/p>\n
According to Rule 23.4, you or your partner are late if any player in a match-play competition tees off. That means you\u2019re out until the start of the second hole. In four-ball stroke play, you\u2019re late if your partner has started play of the hole.<\/p>\n
The other thing to consider is handicap allocation in a missing-man situation. Rule 23.1\/4 covers this: \u201cIf the player with the lowest handicap is unable to play, the absent player is not disregarded given that they may start play for the side between the play of two holes, which in match play means only before any player on either side has started play of a hole. The handicap strokes are calculated as if all four players are present.\u201dIn short, if any of the three remaining players were getting strokes on the first hole of the match, it doesn\u2019t matter if the low-handicap player isn\u2019t competing to start the match. The strokes are still allocated.<\/p>\n
MORE GOLF DIGEST RULES REVIEWS<\/p>\n
What do I do if my ball just hit another ball on the green?<\/a><\/p>\n What happens if my three-minute search for a lost ball gets interrupted?<\/a><\/p>\n I hit myself with my own ball. Is that a penalty anymore?<\/a><\/p>\n What exactly is an embedded ball?<\/a><\/p>\n Touching the green to see if it\u2019s wet: Penalty or no?<\/a><\/p>\n I hit a horrible shot. I\u2019m way better off if I don\u2019t find it. Can I just declare it lost?<\/a><\/p>\n Does a ball have to be unplayable to declare it unplayable?<\/a><\/p>\n I accidentally hit my ball with a practice stroke \u2026 does it count?<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019m on the green. My opponent is not. Who\u2019s away?<\/a><\/p>\n I bent my putter and it actually works better. Can I still use it?<\/a><\/p>\n