Linda,
We had an incident recently where after addressing the ball
on the tee the player swung and the wind clearly blew the ball off the tee. The
player hit the ball while it was moving. This is a little confusing because we
know if the wind blows the ball off the tee there is no penalty but you cannot
hit a moving ball either. What is the ruling in this case?
Thank you,
Lou from Pennsylvania
Dear Lou,
As you correctly stated, there is no penalty if the wind
blows the ball off the tee. If the player is able to stop his stroke, he will
re-tee and try again, no penalty. If the player is unable to stop his stroke
and hits the ball, the ball is in play, no penalty.
A player is not required to replace a ball when he has begun
his stroke, the ball subsequently moves (whether it be his fault or an act of
nature), and he completes the stroke. If he caused the ball to move, he incurs
a one-stroke penalty; if he did not cause the movement, there is no penalty
[Rule 18-2b Exception].
You may not hit a moving ball if it moves before address.
There is no prohibition against hitting a ball that moves in the middle of your
stroke.
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
