Hi Linda,
The following situation occurred in a recent tournament.
A player was upset that the players in a following group were hitting into his group. After this occurred more than once, the player, who was on the green putting, walked to the ball that had been hit just short of the green, picked the ball up, and threw it back towards the group in the fairway.
What options does the Committee have in dealing with this situation? Is there a penalty for intentionally picking up another player's ball in a stroke play tournament? Should the player who threw the ball be penalized or disqualified for a serious breach of etiquette?
What about the players who may have hit into the group ahead?
Thank you.
Lou
Dear Lou,
Technically, there is no penalty in stroke play for moving a fellow competitor’s ball [Rule 18-4].
Your scenario is an etiquette issue, and the decision whether to penalize both the player who threw the ball and the player who hit into him is at the discretion of the Committee.
Both players could be disqualified for a serious breach of etiquette [Rule 33-7]. However, it is recommended in most cases that players be warned after the first breach and disqualified if the behavior is repeated [Decision 33-7/8].
Players are expected to wait until players in front of them are out of range before hitting a ball. Hitting accidentally into a group in front once, accompanied by a vociferous “fore,” is generally understandable and excusable. Hitting into a group a second time is not. Intentionally hitting when players are not out of range would be clear grounds for disqualification for a serious breach of etiquette.
Instead of throwing the ball back, the player might be better advised to wait by the ball until the player reaches it. He would be within his rights to tell that player in no uncertain terms that hitting when players are not out of range is dangerous and unsportsmanlike, and that he will report such activity to the Committee if it is repeated.
It might interest you to learn that if the player hits the ball back towards the offending player, he will incur a two-stroke penalty (loss of hole in match play) [Decision 1-4/4].
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
