Dear Linda,
I had a disagreement
with our Country Club Pro over this rule. First off, as I read the rules under
rule 18-2a & b, if the ball moves by wind/water or on its own accord (gravity),
there is NO penalty and you play the ball where it comes to rest. Under 18-2b
there is an exception that states: When addressing (grounding club), the
ball moves and you are virtually certain you did not cause the ball to
move, there is NO penalty. I do understand, if by grounding my club, I caused
the ball to move, I must take a penalty stroke and place the ball back to its
original position.
I was on the putting
surface and addressed the ball (grounding my club). I was approx. 2"
behind the ball. The ball then moved about an inch (I assumed by gravity, because
it was resting on a small bump on the surface). After the ball came to
rest, I putted it in the hole. My fellow players said I was to receive a one-stroke
penalty because I grounded my club and the ball moved, and also a two-stroke
penalty for not returning it to its original position. I told them they
were wrong because I did not touch or move the ball. I am 100% sure I did not
cause the ball to move. They said it did not matter because I grounded my
club.
When I went to the
Pro, he said they were correct and I should receive the penalties...because I
grounded my club. I then showed him the rulebook under 18-2b and pointed out
the exception to this rule. I told him I was certain that I did not move the
ball. His response was “I could not be certain, if I grounded my club.” If I
could not be certain, then why have an exception to this rule?
I would appreciate
your opinion, because we have 157 players in our men's club, and many ask
me for rule clarifications.
Thanks for a
response,
Lou from Vancouver, Washington
Dear Lou,
Rule 18-2b states
that a player is responsible for any movement of the ball after he has
addressed it. The penalty is one stroke, and he must replace the ball.
There is an exception
to this Rule that absolves the player from penalty if it is known or virtually
certain that he did not move the ball. However, that exception applies only to
factors you may observe, such as wind, water, or an outside agency; gravity
does not qualify as an exception [Decision 18-2b/1].
If you had replaced
your ball before you putted, your penalty would be one stroke. Since you did
not replace it, your penalty is two strokes (not three, as your fellow
competitors suggested).
Incidentally,
grounding your club two inches behind the ball meets the new Definition of “Addressing
the Ball.” The Definition states, somewhat ambiguously, that the ball is
addressed when the club is grounded immediately in front of or immediately behind
the ball. The USGA and R&A clarified the phrase “immediately in front of or
immediately behind the ball” with the following statement issued in April,
2012:
If the golf club is grounded
“closely” behind the ball in a position where it would be customary for a
player to ground the club prior to making a particular stroke, then the club is
considered to have been grounded “immediately behind the ball.”
Once you grounded
your club two inches behind the ball (which, judging from your narrative, would
be your customary distance prior to putting), you were responsible for the
movement of the ball. Again, gravity may not be deemed responsible.
Linda
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