Rules incidents at Tannahill Shield

What you need to know:

  • It is customary for players to show each other which balls they intend to play on the first hole and even mark them. However, this first group neglected this age-old golfing tradition.

There were dramatic swings of fortune this past weekend at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club during the 94th edition of the Easter Tournament, better known as the Tannahill Shield.

The tournament that has been played since 1924, with the exception of 1940, has employed a unique format that is, as far as I’m aware, unique to the event.

Each of the participating clubs is required to have four pairs of men golfers playing in foursomes match play. The peculiar thing however is the fact that it also a threesome competition.

So the first pair of players from Royal Nairobi Golf Club played against the first pair from Karen Country Club on April 30 and at the same time they played against the first pair from Limuru Country Club.

In every flight there were three distinct matches going on simultaneously. In that first game, Royal vs Karen, Royal vs Limuru and Karen vs Limuru. Each pair of players in a foursome tournament must play their shots alternately and one player tees off on the even numbered holes while his partner tees off on the odd.

This format is not a problem for these top players from the top clubs in the country. On the first day of the tournament, drama started with the first group on their first tee shots.

It is customary for players to show each other which balls they intend to play on the first hole and even mark them. However, this first group neglected this age-old golfing tradition.

Trouble started when it was discovered that the Limuru and Royal teams were both playing the same model of ball and as fate would have it, they both bore the same number. What’s more, the tee shots were just a few yards from each other.

“The balls are lost!” declared the Karen players.

“Both teams must return to the tee and play their third shots!” suggested the Karen players.

They would have been right about the situation had the Royal and Limuru teams have had difficulties distinguishing their balls. One of the referees was at hand to help ascertain how they were able to tell their balls apart. It happened that one of the players who was meant to play the second shot was near the landing area while their caddies were also present.

They were able to tell, with certainty, which ball belonged to which team. To the utter dismay of the Karen players, the referee ruled that the players were allowed to continue playing their balls.

The Karen players reckoned that the Rules of Golf require all players to put an identification mark on their balls. This is however not the case; the Rule states that it is the responsibility of the player to play the proper ball and that they should put an identification mark. The word that is employed in this Rule is “should”, which denotes a recommendation, and not “must”, which denotes a requirement.

Another interesting ruling occurred on the same first hole after a tee shot on the second day. Limuru’s John Karichu was so eager to play that he could scarcely wait for his partner Dennis Maara to tee off.

As soon as David Irimu from Limuru’s second flight teed off and before his partner, Ian Mundia, could say “good-shot-partner!”, Karichu swiftly played the ball onto the green. The opponents of Irimu and Mundia were very quick to claim the hole.

However, despite the fact that Karichu was a member of the Limuru club team, he was an outside agency to the Irimu-Mundia match. All Mundia was expected to do was to replace the ball on the spot from which Karichu had played their ball.

The other question was how to deal with the eager Karichu. According to some, he had desecrated the course! He had taken the forbidden fruit and should not have been allowed to play. He had “practiced” on part of the course before his match had even started.

“Disqualify him! Disqualify him!” came the chants from his opponents.

Were Dennis Maara and John Karichu supposed to be disqualified without being given a chance to tee off? The Rules of Golf prohibit a player from practicing on the competition course before the round in a stroke play competition. They however allow it in a match play competition unless there is a Local Rule prohibiting the same. There was no such restriction. The pair of Maara and Karichu were relieved at the ruling.

All in all, the 94th Tannahill Shield was a resounding success. The stars of the competition for me was the pair of Taimur Malik and Akshay Chandaria, the youngsters from Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club.

The slight fifteen-year-old Malik combined extremely well with his burly seventeen-year-old partner, Chandaria to beat some very experienced players. There was a sensational ending to their first match when they beat Mike Kisia (one of the highly rated Kenyan amateurs) and Isaiah Otuke of Vet Lab Sports Club. With their wins on the first day, the young lads had more points than the entire Karen Country Club team.