Linda,
After a player's second shot from the fairway, her ball lies
on the back of the green about 15 feet from the hole. The hole location is
toward the back left with the green sloping back to front. There is a
bunker short left of the green.
She putts the ball and it rolls towards the hole, picks up
speed and rolls off the green into the bunker.
Can she declare an unplayable lie, put her ball where the
first putt was played and complete the hole? If so, what is her score?
Lulu from Minnesota
Dear Lulu,
She certainly may! Relief option “a” under Rule 28 permits a
player to hit another ball under “stroke and distance,” which means hitting a
ball from the spot where you hit your previous shot and adding a one-stroke
penalty to your score for the hole [Rule 27-1].
If this player decides to play under stroke and distance,
she will place a ball on the green on the spot where she hit the putt. Her
score for the hole will include one penalty stroke.
This is a fine example of where a good working knowledge of
the Rules can save you strokes.
Linda
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