Linda, if you are on the green putting and the flagstick has
been removed and placed on the fringe or off the putting green and fringe
altogether, and your ball hits the flagstick, which is in the, let's say, rough
around the green, do you get a 2-stroke penalty? Someone said that if the flagstick
is OFF the green, you do not. I think you still do.
Thank you,
Lulu from Southern California
Dear Lulu,
You are correct. Regardless of where it has been placed, there
is a two-stroke penalty if a putt from on the green strikes the flagstick [Rule
17-3a].
If a putted ball is heading towards a flagstick, anyone may
pick it up to try to help the person putting avoid the penalty [Rule 24-1, last
paragraph; Decision 17-1/7].
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
