Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Ask Linda #483-Putt away from hole


Linda, is it against the rules to putt your ball away from the cup so you can get in a position to show the line to your partner? This happened in our match today.
Thanks,
Lulu

Dear Lulu,

Golf relies on the integrity of each player. Putting away from the hole to show your partner the line is akin to cheating, and it violates the spirit of the game.

In match play, the player should be disqualified from the hole. In addition, since this action assisted her partner, the partner should also be disqualified from the hole [Rule 30-3f].

In stroke penalty, the player should incur a two-stroke penalty. Her partner should also incur a two-stroke penalty because the player’s breach assisted her in her play [Rule 31-8].

This question is addressed in Decision 30-3f/6.

Linda
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