Hi Linda,
I believe you have said that a player is entitled to the lie
his or her shot gave them. I might not have the quote exactly right but I seem
to recall you were answering a question from a player who said another
player's shot threw sod over his ball.
That happened to me in a recent game but with a very
important difference. The piece of sod over my ball was the result of my own
practice swing. I was not only left with a loose impediment covering my
ball but I had a distracting divot beside my ball.
What are my options?
Thanks again for all your previous help.
Lou from Ontario, Canada
Dear Lou,
You’re breaking my heart, Lou. How many times have I
cautioned readers to take their practice swings far enough away from their ball
so as not to incur a penalty? Think before you swing!
Here’s the sad news:
I am going to assume that the flying sod moved your ball in
play, since any doubt as to whether the ball moved would be resolved against
the player in this circumstance. You will incur a one-stroke penalty, and you
must replace your ball before hitting it [Decision 18-2a/20.5]. You may remove
the sod in the process of replacing your ball, as it is a loose impediment.
However, you may not repair the divot. Once you worsen your lie or the area of
your stance you may not restore it [Decision 13-2/29]. Please remember to
repair both divots after you hit your ball–the one from your practice swing
and the one from your shot.
Players should endeavor to take their practice swings at or
above ground level. Taking divots while making a practice swing is poor course
etiquette. Please read “Preventing Unnecessary Damage” in the Etiquette section
of the rulebook.
Linda
Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
