Linda–
On his second shot from the fairway, Player A erroneously
hits Player B’s ball. Realizing the error Player B retrieves his ball and
returns to its original position. Is it correct that Player B MUST DROP his
ball as close to the original spot? Even if a divot was made, which would
indicate the original spot, must Player B still drop and not place the ball as
close as possible to the original position?
Can Player B repair the divot made by Player A before having
his ball erroneously hit?
Player A is penalized 2 shots and no penalty for player B. Is
this correct?
Respectfully,
Lou
Dear Lou,
When a player hits a wrong ball that belongs to another
player, the owner of the ball must PLACE
(not drop) a ball on the spot from where it was hit [Rule 15-3]. The owner
is entitled to his original lie, so if a divot has been taken, he must place his ball within one club-length
in a similar lie, no closer to the hole [Rule 20-3b]. Incidentally, the owner
does not have to retrieve his original ball; he may use any ball.
The player who hit the wrong ball incurs a two-stroke
penalty, and he must correct his mistake before he tees off on the next hole. (The
penalty in match play is loss of hole.) The owner of the ball incurs no penalty.
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
