Dear Linda,
I have seen on Tour, when someone takes a penalty drop from a lateral water hazard, the caddy picks up the ball before it enters the water again. Recently, during our club tournament, a player, while taking a penalty drop, picked up his ball before it stopped, because if he did not it would roll another 30 feet or so into an unplayable area. Is he permitted to do this?
Thank you
Lou.
Dear Lou,
A player is required to re-drop a ball if it rolls into a hazard. If the caddy is standing within the margin of the hazard, he may pick up the dropped ball after it has crossed into the hazard and everyone in your group agrees that there is zero possibility that it will reverse direction and come to rest outside the hazard. Technically, the ball is required to come to rest in the hazard before being re-dropped. However, the area next to some hazards is so steeply inclined toward the hazard that once the ball crosses the margin it is readily apparent that a ball rolling toward the water will enter the water. I encountered such a situation once in a tournament. My caddy asked permission to stop the ball after I dropped it, and was told he could stand at the edge of the water and catch the ball just before it rolled in.
The same ruling would be in effect for a ball that is going to roll 30 feet from where it is dropped. A player is required to re-drop a ball if it rolls more than two club-lengths from where it first hits the course. If it is certain that this ball will not reverse direction and come to rest within two club-lengths of where it was dropped, there is no reason why a player can’t retrieve his ball before it rolls 30 feet away. An example would be dropping on the side of any hill. You must drop the ball twice before placing it, but you can ask another player to stand more than two club-lengths away and stop your ball for you, or you can chase after it yourself.
There must be absolute certainty that your ball will not reverse direction and come to rest within two club-lengths of where it was dropped. You don’t want to risk a penalty under Rule 1-2 for exerting influence on the ball.
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
