Hi Linda,
If you are requested to mark a ball that is not on the green
but hinders another player, are you allowed to clean your ball or must it remain
dirty & be replaced as is?
Many Thanks,
Lulu from Papua New Guinea
Dear Lulu,
You may not clean
a ball that you have been asked to lift because it interferes with someone
else’s play, unless it is on the green [Rule 22-2]. The penalty for cleaning it
is one stroke.
The same holds true for a ball that is lifted because it may
assist play [Rule 22-1].
After you mark the ball, lift it carefully and keep it in
plain sight. You may be subject to penalty if you toss it to a caddie or drop
it in your pocket, since such actions are likely to clean the ball to some
extent.
When you replace the ball, if there happens to be a piece of mud adhering to the ball, you may place the ball so that the mud is facing away from your club head. You may not replace a muddy ball with the mud underneath the ball, in effect teeing the ball up on the mud [Decision 21/5].
When you replace the ball, if there happens to be a piece of mud adhering to the ball, you may place the ball so that the mud is facing away from your club head. You may not replace a muddy ball with the mud underneath the ball, in effect teeing the ball up on the mud [Decision 21/5].
Linda
Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
