Saturday, June 1, 2013

Ask Linda #659c-Unplayable relief rolls forward


Dear Linda,

You said [Ask Linda #659b-Forward Roll Resolution (Ask Linda #659 Controversy), posted on May 28]:

When a player takes relief from a water hazard on the line-of-sight to the hole under Rule 26-1b, if it rolls more than two club-lengths in any direction it must be re-dropped. While this is one of the rare instances where you do not have to re-drop if the ball rolls forward, it is still governed by the two-club-length limit of roll.

What about Rule 28b [relief on line-of-sight for unplayable ball], should it not be the same? If I see your point correctly, there is the same logic, isn`t there?
Best Regards,
Lulu

Dear Lulu,

Both the logic and the Rule are the same.

When a player chooses a relief option that allows her to drop on the line-of-sight to the hole, she does not have to re-drop if the ball rolls forward, provided it does not roll more than two club-lengths forward (and doesn’t roll into or out of a hazard, onto a putting green, etc. – see Rule 20-2c).

All Rules that allow a player to seek relief on an infinite line would permit a dropped ball to roll forward. Rules that require players to drop in a limited area (e.g., relief from immovable obstructions, abnormal ground conditions, embedded balls, and wrong putting greens) require a re-drop if the ball rolls forward and settles on a spot that is closer to the hole than the nearest point of relief [Rule 20-2c (vii)].

Linda
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