Words: Chris Wallace
John Paramor’s Seve ruling
John Paramor (JP), one of the most celebrated and respected rules officials in professional golf, sadly passed away earlier this year. Chris Wallace, Rules manager at The R&A, takes a look back at one of Paramor’s most famous rulings and how the subsequent evolution of the Rules – to which he was a great contributor – would impact the outcome were the same scenario to happen today.
The ruling will be known to many and involved Seve Ballesteros on the final hole of the 1994 Volvo Masters at Valderrama. The Spaniard was tied for the lead with Bernhard Langer with one hole to play in front of a passionate home crowd. Ballesteros pushed his tee shot at the 18th right of the fairway, with his ball coming to rest at the base of a tree, close to what appeared to be a hole apparently dug out by some sort of animal.
Seeking relief from what he believed to be an animal hole behind his ball, which would interfere with his area of intended swing, Seve called for a ruling, with
