Dear Linda,
Thanks for your very useful golf rules email, it’s a great
way for golfers to improve their knowledge of the rules!
I haven’t known you to be wrong in the past, but could you
please check the third paragraph in your answer below. You say “…You may
only brush away sand or loose soil when your ball lies on the green..”
Are you 100% sure about this statement? It is correct to say that
“..sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not
elsewhere..”, however my understanding is that a player may brush
away sand if it is on the green and his/her ball is not. It’s irrelevant where
the ball lies (on or off the green). You also say “.. Rory McIlroy’s
ball was on the fringe when he brushed away the sand. The fringe is not the
green, hence the penalty.” Again, my understanding is that this is
not the reason he got the penalty. Rory incurred the penalty because he brushed
away sand that was not on the green (so by definition it was not a loose
impediment). The position of his ball is irrelevant in this case.
Apologies if I have misread your text.
Lou from Dublin, Ireland
Dear Lou,
You are absolutely correct. My apologies to anyone who may
have been misled. I have edited Ask Linda #517.
My thanks to you and my other readers who care enough to
take the time to send corrections. All your help is much appreciated.
Linda
