RULE 38-3

The 1968 Masters Tourney is not famous because Bob Goalby won. It is famous because Roberto De Vicenzo did not win...even though he tied for the lowest score. In haste he signed the score card handed to him by his playing partner for the final round, Tommy Aaron. He didn't check it. He didn't add it up. He was staring at the bogey 5 he made on eighteen. He was thinking "If I had just made par I would have won. But now I am tied with Goalby, and tomorrow we have to play an eighteen hole playoff'."

Not so fast!  Because of your mistake, you will not be playing in a playoff.   You finished second.

So what does the 1968 Masters tourney have to do with Dec. 3, 2009?   Aaron, by mistake, put down a par 4 for seventeen instead of a birdy 3. In fact, there would eventually be 3 mistakes on the card: the totals for the back nine (35 instead of 34) and the eighteen (66 instead of 65), and most important, the score on seventeen. Note:  The totals weren't on the card when Roberto signed it.

Rule 38-3 says

"No alteration of scores: No alteration may be made on a card after the competitor has returned it to the committee. If the competitor returns a score for any hole lower than he actually played, he shall be disqualified. A score higher than actually played must stand as returned."

The world via television watched him make a 3 on seventeen. But according to rule 38-3 he made a 4. According to rule 38-3 he finished second. Couldn't anyone on the committee change it? Couldn't someone find a way to overlook the rule in favor of what was right and fair? Not on that day.

Rule 38-3 prevailed. Even the great Bobby Jones, nearby in his cabin, very ill, was consulted and agreed the rule must prevail. By now it had become a big deal. Everyone knew. But earlier, at the table, the gentleman in charge of collecting the cards could have found Roberto (he had been led off for an interview) and simply said, "Roberto. You just signed your card with a wrong score. You need to erase that 4 and put down a 3. (Roberto didn't add up the scores. Most players didn't. They just checked their individual hole scores. The totals were written in by the official after the card was signed.) But he didn't do that. Instead, he ran to the tournament director to report a rule violation.  Today, things are different.   The Masters table is run more like  PGA event tables.   The players are forced to check their cards, confirm the numbers, and only sign when satisfied. 

Rule 38-3 prevailed.

Even today, as in the 2010 PGA, Dustin Johnson was given a stroke for grounding his club in a bunker that only appeared to be a bunker to someone on TV.  Arnold Palmer did it years before and was forgiven, but Johnson was not.   The stroke kept Johnson from going to a playoff for the win.  I watched it.   It never occurred to me his ball was in a bunker.   But rules are rules.

Some people live by rule 38-3, and relate to others with rule 38-3. Some of you are reading this, saying, Danny, let it go.   Rules are rules.   It must be this way.  OK.

But others, instead of throwing stones, throw in a new Titleist or Maxfli and say, "Hit a mulligan".

All I'm saying is the rules should have prevailed December 3, 2009. 

But instead I watched God giving out mulligans. Maybe it was a one day thing. I'm not trying to build a new theology of salvation (fancy word is soteriology) or enhance an old one. I believe the rules still stand. But I also believe if God wants to give a mulligan, that's His business not mine. Amazing grace!