Friday, November 23, 2012

Ask Linda #562-Preferred lies, placed ball moves


Hi Linda
There is a local rule in our club allowing preferred lies in closely mown areas through the green.
My friend marked and lifted her ball. She replaced it and it moved into another lie near by. Can she take another preferred lie? We know that you only replace your ball once in preferred lies but she wondered if your ball moved -- could you mark lift and replace again.
Thanks very much
Best wishes
Lulu

Dear Lulu,

When you are playing preferred lies, you may place the ball only once. It is in play as soon as it is placed. If the ball comes to rest where it was placed, and it subsequently moves, the player must play the ball from its new position. She may not mark, lift, clean, and place her ball a second time [Appendix I, Part B, 4c].

The only situation in which the player would place the ball more than once is if the ball, when placed, will not come to rest on that spot. In this case, she must place the ball at the nearest spot no closer to the hole where it will stay put [Rule 20-3d].

Linda
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