News

An unbelievable rules blunder from Mickelson, committee at the Presidents Cup

Published

11 years ago

Oct 9, 2015

The good news: Despite a blunder and an almost inconceivable lapse on the part of the rules committee at the Presidents Cup, Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson managed to halve their match with Jason Day and Adam Scott.

The bad news: Well, pretty much everything that happened on the seventh hole for the U.S. side.

All square with Jason Day and Adam Scott in their fourball match, Phil Mickelson decided to put a firmer golf ball in play on the par-five seventh hole, apparently believing it would give him a better chance of reaching the green in two.

Mickelson, reportedly, thought he was in the clear as there is no one-ball rule in Ryder Cup competition when the event is held in the U.S. Thus, Lefty seems to have assumed similar standards applied to Presidents Cup competitions outside of the U.S.

Unfortunately, he was wong.

In Presidents Cup play, the one-ball rule is in effect. Thus, a player cannot switch the type of ball he is playing during a round.

Here’s some clarification on the rule from the USGA’s Decisions in the Rules of Golf.

Rule 15-1: Changing golf balls during a hole or a stipulated round: “…When changing balls, the player is permitted to substitute a ball of another brand or type unless the Committee has adopted the One Ball Condition of Competition (see Appendix I; Part C; Section 1c). This optional condition (usually referred to as ‘The One Ball Rule’) is generally adopted only in events that are limited to professional golfers or highly-skilled amateur golfers. Generally, this condition of competition is not adopted in club-level competitions.”

“I tried to put a firmer ball in play,” Mickelson said of the decision. “As we were walking down after I did it, I was sure there was no one ball rule, I was there with captain Haas and said ‘Will you just check?’ We’ve never really had it and I didn’t think much about it. But it’s my responsibility to know that.

What they found out, additionally, was that the penalty for such an offence is a “one hole adjustment” i.e. Mickelson and Johnson immediately went from all-square to one-down

Unfortunately, again, it was at this point a secondary blunder occurred.

A rules official incorrectly told Mickelson he was disqualified from the hole, so Phil picked up, leaving Johnson against Day/Scott for the hole. Day won the hole and secured another point, which put Mickelson/Johnson two-down.

The Match Committee got it wrong. As USA Today’s Steve Dimeglio explained, “In fact, Mickelson could have actually played out the hole – either with the wrong ball or after putting the correct ball back into play – and tied Day with a birdie of his own, which then would have meant the Americans would have lost the hole just once because of his breech of the rules.”

And under Decision 34-2/6 of the Rules of Golf, there’s no way to rectify the error. According to a Committee statement, “Once any player in the match plays a subsequent stroke allowing a correction could potentially undermine the strategy already employed by both sides in the match in completing the hole.”

“We’ve never had a one-ball rule that I can think of in these events, or at least that I was aware of. But it’s never been an issue, either. Obviously as a player, you need to know that. You need to know the rules and if you have a question, you do it beforehand.”

It doesn’t appear the blunder will haunt Mickelson, as he offered up a classic FIGJAM quote post-match: “I feel like we spotted the Internationals’ best team two holes and they still couldn’t beat us. Just saying.”

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

9 Comments

Shack222

Oct 11, 2015 at 2:50 am

By taking 2 different balls out on the course he shows that he had already decided to use this tactic in practise, and he only thought to question wether it was allowed AFTER he’d actually done it???? Stupid man

Reply Report comment
BT

Oct 10, 2015 at 6:25 pm

It makes no sense to me that you can play out the hole with an illegal ball. So on a par 5 you switch balls to a Pinnacle because you think you won’t get on in 2 with your regular ball. You sink the eagle putt for the win but you lose a hole under one ball rule, effectively halving the hole when you expected to lose. I think you should be dq’ed for the hole/s plus one hole penalty. Without the dq the gain might be worth incurring the penalty.

Note: matchplay was invented before computers. A penalty is not to lose ‘the’ hole but to lose ‘a’ hole. Two 19th century Scotsmen kept track in their heads (2 up, 3 down etc) not filling + or – on a computer leaderboard where there was no space for penalty loss of holes. So for Phil to say they lost the 7th twice is to not understand matchplay.
(And btw Ben, the GolfWRX audience is worldwide so the half in the match isn’t universally good news for your readers.)

Reply Report comment
Gives

Oct 10, 2015 at 3:56 am

Phil also blundered by making this blunder and exposing the pathetic nature of the American rules in Ryder Cup. Now everybody knows that the Ryder Cup in the US is considered a “club” competition and not a professional one, played with amateur rules.

Reply Report comment
Steve

Oct 9, 2015 at 7:25 pm

Thanks Phil we all now know for a fact at least two of Callaways balls perform different enough that a pro would change to get more distance…Wonder how much of this ball switching goes on during regular PGA events as there is no ONE BALL RULE in PGA tour events???

Reply Report comment
- 1badbadger
  
  Oct 10, 2015 at 3:24 am
  
  PGA Tour events ARE played under the one ball condition…they are not allowed to switch to a different model during a round.
  
  Reply Report comment
Brian

Oct 9, 2015 at 3:30 pm

FIGJAM

Reply Report comment
Tom

Oct 9, 2015 at 3:26 pm

This was a regular comedy act unfolding before our eyes.

Reply Report comment
Mb

Oct 9, 2015 at 2:14 pm

still can’t get over that Phil quote haha, just classic. FIGJAM for life

Reply Report comment
ooffa

Oct 9, 2015 at 12:31 pm

Maybe he had bet against himself?

Reply Report comment

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News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

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Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.