Rule change proposition

[THUNDAH]

As a rule change proposition, I suggest if:

13-4/8 When Club Touches Ground in Grass in Water Hazard
Q.If a player's ball lies in a water hazard, when is his club in tall grass considered to be touching the ground in the water hazard, in breach of Rule 13-4b?

A.When the grass is compressed to the point where it will support the weight of the club (i.e., when the club is grounded).

Could we have the same logic for grounding a club in a bunker. I would call it the Anna Nordqvist rule.

[BC MIST]

As a rule change proposition, I suggest if:

13-4/8 When Club Touches Ground in Grass in Water Hazard
Q.If a player's ball lies in a water hazard, when is his club in tall grass considered to be touching the ground in the water hazard, in breach of Rule 13-4b?

A.When the grass is compressed to the point where it will support the weight of the club (i.e., when the club is grounded).

Could we have the same logic for grounding a club in a bunker. I would call it the Anna Nordqvist rule.

Yes, Anna moved a few grains of sand in her back swing and no, no advantage was gained. But these kinds of rules are based not on whether an advantage was ACTUALLY gained, but on whether one COULD be gained. Otherwise, rulings like these would be based solely on OPINION rather than FACT resulting in the possibility of an unfair ruling.

My ball, as it was yesterday, partly plugged in a bunker. Following your suggestion, I rest my heavy, wide flanged, Ben Hogan Sure Out sand wedge right behind the ball to the point where the sand supports the weight of the club. Will doing so push the sand down a little, improving my lie, making the stroke easier? Obviously, yes. So this rule, and others, must apply to ALL possible scenarios, whether an advantage was gained or not, not just isolated ones.

[THUNDAH]

My point exactly. If the sand supports the weight of the club, then the club should be deemed grounded. It already applies to a club compressing the grass in a hazard to the point it supports the weight of the club. It all comes down to the players' judgement and integrity.

[AAA]

The two conditions are different.
Blades of grass are flexible and generally move back into place when the club is taken away. It is then still in the way when making the stroke. So there is no improvement.
When sand is moved, it does not move back so the lie is improved.

[AAA]

Just don't touch anything