In match play, if a player wins the first three holes but then finds 15 clubs in their bag, what is the status of the match at the 4th tee?

In match play, the rules are designed to maintain fairness throughout the competition. If a player begins the round with 14 clubs, and during play, discovers they have 15 clubs—a violation of the rules—the penalty applies immediately.

Specifically, when a player is found to have more than the permitted number of clubs, they are disqualified from that hole or the match depending on when the infraction is discovered. However, because the player had already won the first three holes before discovering the violation, the match status doesn’t reset to a disadvantage until that moment is acknowledged.

At the 4th tee, since the player was leading the match by winning the first three holes, they were one up. The rules of match play indicate that the match goes on, but the player’s infraction will affect their ability to continue effectively. Nevertheless, until that point officially impacts the match’s standing, the player remains one up based on prior victories at the first three holes.

Thus, the match status at the 4th tee reflects that the player is still ahead, which is why the answer is that they are one up.