Hi Linda,
The following is what I observed at the weekend.
A player playing a Par 3 hit their tee shot and on the
upswing somehow hit the ball again resulting in the ball landing out of bounds.
Is the player in theory hitting their 4th shot
from the teebox after such an occurrence? (I understand penalty strokes are
added after the completion of a hole.)
Thanks in advance.
Best Regards,
Lulu from Ireland
Dear Lulu,
Your calculations are correct. The player’s second shot from
the teeing ground (which may be teed) will be her fourth shot on the hole.
When a player hits a ball more than once with one swing, she
must count the swing and add one penalty stroke to her score [Rule 14-4]. When
a player hits a ball out of bounds she must hit a ball from the spot where she
hit her original and add one penalty stroke.
This player’s tee shot was her first stroke, the double hit
added a one-stroke penalty, and the ball landing out of bounds added another
one-stroke penalty –her second tee shot is stroke number four.
Your parenthetical remark about penalty strokes being added
after the completion of the hole is totally incorrect. Penalty strokes are
added to your score when the violation occurs. In fact, in match play, if your
opponent asks how many strokes you have taken during play of a hole, and you do
not include a penalty stroke, you will lose the hole for giving incorrect
information [Rule 9-2b (ii)].
Linda
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