Linda–
Whiffed the ball at the tee, ball fell off the tee, I picked
up the ball to re-tee but moved my tee to a different spot before taking my
next stroke. What number will I be playing now?
Lulu from Ontario
Dear Lulu,
Let’s start with the correct procedure.
When you whiff your ball on the tee, your ball is in play
[Definition of Stroke]. Since the whiff caused the ball to fall off the tee,
you will play the ball as it lies on the ground. The whiff is your first shot;
hitting the ball on the ground is your second.
Let’s look at what you did. You tried to hit the ball and
missed (stroke #1). You lifted your ball in play and returned to where you hit
your previous shot (I understand this was a very short walk – stay with me
here). You re-teed the ball in a different spot that was still within the
teeing ground. This is called playing under stroke and distance, which includes
a one-stroke penalty. Your second tee shot is your third shot on the hole.
When a player elects to return to where she hit her previous
shot, and the location happens to be the teeing ground, she may play the ball
from anywhere within the teeing ground and the ball may be re-teed [Rule 20-5a].
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
