Craig Stadler's Towel: It's Fine to Ask a Rules Question

Craig Stadler had a muddy problem. His ball was under a low pine tree at Torrey Pines, and the only way to hit it was from his knees. So he did what most of us would do. He laid down a towel to keep his pants dry. That towel cost him the tournament.

The moment

It was the third round of the 1987 Andy Williams Open in San Diego. Friday night's rain had left the ground wet. On the 14th hole, Stadler knelt on his towel, punched the ball out from under the branches, and went on with his day.

The next afternoon, he holed a birdie putt on the final hole and thought he had finished tied for second. But the TV broadcast that day had replayed the towel shot, and viewers called in. Rules officials ruled the towel was "building a stance," which carried a two-stroke penalty. Because Stadler hadn't added those strokes to Saturday's scorecard, he had signed for a wrong score and was disqualified.

He didn't know the rule existed. Plenty of pros didn't. "It was not an easy lesson to take, but life goes on," he said a few days later.

And there's a happy ending. Years later, when that tree died, Stadler was invited back to help cut it down.

Today's rules would treat it more gently: a player in his spot would get the two-stroke penalty, not a disqualification, if it were caught before the event ended.

Your first-nine lesson: you're allowed to ask

The rule book is long, and nobody expects a beginner to know it. Even tour pros get surprised.

• Ask before you guess. Not sure if you can move a stick, a rake or your ball? Ask your playing partners or the pro shop. Good golfers are happy to help.
• Learn the few rules that come up most. Our golf rules for beginners guide covers the ones you'll actually meet on a first nine.
• Keep score simply and honestly. If something odd happens, write a note on the card and ask after the round. Our how to keep score guide shows how.
• Let it go, like Stadler did. A rules mix-up is a lesson, not a label. The next shot is all that matters.

Related guides and stories

• Golf rules for beginners: the ones that matter on your first nine
• How to keep score in golf — beginner version
• More “even the greats” stories
• Start here

Sources

• Los Angeles Times, "TV Highlight Shot Costs Craig Stadler...," Feb 16, 1987
• Los Angeles Times, "Stadler Is Not Ready to Throw in the Towel, or Ever Use One Again," Feb 18, 1987
• Golf Digest, "The man who took the call that DQ'd Craig Stadler..."
• SCGA FORE Magazine, "Famous Rulings at Torrey Pines"

Facts are taken from the official and news sources above. Players are named with respect; no player photos or video are used on this page.