I heard from a golfing buddy that the following scenario occurred during their annual championship. In their conditions of competition, competitors are allowed to engage caddies and are allowed to use motorised carts.
So, in one group, A and B share a caddy while C and D share another caddy. On every hole, whenever a player's ball is on the putting green, one of the caddies will immediately proceed to the putting green, then mark the ball and lift it. Presumably, the caddies want to impress the players that they are doing a good job.
However, I see potential issues with this arrangement, namely:
(1) The caddy of A&B may be marking the ball of C or D.
Assuming the positions of the balls are marked correctly before they are lifted each time, in addition to decision 20-1/5, are there other considerations that the players should be wary of?
(2) It appears that there is an agreement among the players that they have authorised the caddies in advance to mark any player's ball whenever it is on the putting green.
In a stroke play event, do the rules of golf allow the competitors to have an agreement in advance that they will allow their caddies to mark and lift any competitor's ball when it is on the putting green? Or does the competitor need to authorise a caddy to mark and lift his ball on a putting green on a hole-by-hole basis?
Please comment as appropriate.
Thank you and best regards
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
Rule 20-1 permits a ball to be lifted by the player, his partner, or another person authorized by the player. That authorization must be granted each and every time the player asks another person to mark and lift his ball.
Personally, I would advise players to mark their own balls, and to give permission to their own caddie to do so only when pace of play or some other important consideration warrants it. Don’t forget that when a player authorizes another person to mark his ball, the player is responsible for any breach of the rules. Are you willing to trust another player’s caddie to be especially attentive to the Rules when he marks your ball? I’m not.
Linda
Copyright © 2011 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
