Hi Linda,
A player whiffs his tee shot, takes his penalty, then
re-addresses the ball, then accidentally bumps his ball from the tee. Is
the player penalized because the ball was in play after the whiff? Would he take
a penalty and put it back on the tee?
Thanks,
Lou from Ontario
Dear Lou,
The whiff counts as the player’s first stroke, since he
intended to hit the ball. As soon as a player hits from the teeing ground (even
if the “hit” is a “miss”), his ball is in play [Definition of “Ball in Play”].
When he accidentally bumps his ball off the tee, he has moved his ball in play
and has consequently incurred a one-stroke penalty [Rule 18-2a]. He must
replace his ball on the tee before hitting what will be his third stroke on the
hole. If he does not replace it, and hits it as it lies on the ground, the
penalty is two strokes.
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
