Hi Linda,
Last Tuesday I was putting on the green and asked my fellow
competitor to attend the flag. She did, but neglected to remove it as my
ball approached. My ball hit the flagstick and bounced away. I was
told by the golf pro that no penalty was incurred. Was this ruling correct?
Thanks,
Lulu from New Jersey
Dear Lulu,
The golf pro’s ruling was incorrect, Lulu.
A player’s ball must not hit the flagstick when it is
attended. The penalty for hitting an attended flagstick is two strokes [Rule
17-3a]. This penalty is assessed to the player, not to the person attending the
flagstick.
As I have mentioned in the past, attending a flagstick is a
responsibility that must be taken seriously. The attendee must take care not to
cast her shadow over the hole, and should remove the flagstick as soon as the
player putts her ball. She should step away from the hole in a direction that
will allow the player to view the path of her ball should it roll past the
hole.
If the person you ask to attend the flagstick is a novice,
be sure to explain her responsibilities before you putt. She will not be happy
if she inadvertently causes you to incur a two-stroke penalty, and you will not
be happy to receive it.
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
