Question on golf rule

On Memorial Tournament last night, Rory rd1 hole 12 tee shot go inside the bunker, 2nd shot roll off the green into water. We went back to the tee box again to resume.

Isn't he just need to drop the ball somewhere before the water?

kenkong79 wrote:

On Memorial Tournament last night, Rory rd1 hole 12 tee shot go inside the bunker, 2nd shot roll off the green into water. We went back to the tee box again to resume.

Isn't he just need to drop the ball somewhere before the water?

Bro,

I did not watch the above game and you did not mention the water was a water hazard or lateral water hazard.

The rule for water hazards (rule 26)

If your ball is in a water hazard (yellow stakes and / or lines) you may play the ball as it is or under penalty of one stoke

- play a ball from where you last shot was played, or
- drop a ball any distance behind the water hazard keeping a straight line between the holes, the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard and the spot on which the ball is dropped.

If you ball is in a lateral water hazard (red stakes and / or lines), in addition to the option above, under penalty of one stroke, you may drop within club lengths of, and not near the hole than:

- the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard or
- a point on the opposite side of the hazard equidistant to the hole from the point where the ball last crossed the margin.

By saying so, you are correct that Rory shall have taken the 2nd option by drop the a ball any distance behind the water hazard since he do not want to drop the ball where he last shot in bunker.

However, I did not know what situation at that time for him to drop his ball far back at the tee box.

From pga.com

Coming off back-to-back missed cuts that cost him his No. 1 ranking and ramped up the scrutiny, McIlroy took a quadruple bogey on his third hole of the tournament when he went from the bunker to the water, back over the pond to the drop area on a forward tee, and then into another bunker. He blasted onto the green and took two putts for a 7, and there were murmurs from the crowd to see him at 4-over par so early.

Bro Kenkong,

Now I see what you mean after watching the video below. Hole 12 is par 3 and it carry over the water harzard from the tee box. I guess Rory did made the correct decision to drop his ball back at the tee box as it is the most flat ground option he has.

http://www.pgatour.com/video/r/highlights/top_shots/2012/05/31/qt12memorialrnd112quadmcilroypga-2115022/index.html