Nedbank Golf, the luckiest shot of the year



by ANDREA GUSSONI

Nedbank Golf, the luckiest shot of the year
Nedbank Golf, the luckiest shot of the year © Getty Images Sport - Mike Ehrmann / Staff

During the 3rd round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, Swede Sebastian Söderberg hit one of the luckiest shots of the year. Even if he ended up making a double bogey on the hole…

Nedbank Golf, results

Attacking the par 5 of the 9th, with a wood in hand for his 2nd shot, Sebastien Söderberg saw his ball hit a stone placed in the frontal obstacle, go back, and come out of the water thanks to a quite incredible ricochet… Unfortunately for the Swede, his third shot turned into a scratch and this time failed in the middle of the stream...

The double bogey of Söderberg who only scored one par on his outward journey (a double, four birdies and three bogeys) was quickly erased by an eagle on the next hole. So many adventures... The Rules of Golf are a set of standard rules and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played.

They are jointly written and administered by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf throughout the world, outside of the United States and Mexico, which are the responsibility of the United States Golf Association.

An expert commission made up of members of the R&A and USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision is effective January 1, 2016. Changes to the rules of golf generally fall into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that in certain cases reduce penalties to ensure balance.

The rule book, entitled "Rules of Golf", is published on a regular basis and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy it is up to Federgolf to supervise the competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R & A, checking that these rules are observed by the Clubs, Associations and their members and managing the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.

The rules of golf are relatively complicated compared to other sports because they are applied outdoors, close to nature and animals. Respect for the rules is a basic element in the game of golf, which, almost always based on the self-control and free conscience of the players, often sees distorted results, consciously at times, but often unconsciously or through carelessness, due to non-compliance on the part of many players of the game rules.

In addition to rules, golf adheres to a code of conduct, known as etiquette, which generally means playing the round with due respect for the golf course and other players. Etiquette is an essential component of this sport.[2]