Hi Linda,
In match play, clean and place in your own fairway.
Player A’s ball, in the fairway, walking by her ball accidentally moves the
ball one inch. Player B (match opponent) immediately says to player A –
“That’s okay – it was an accident. No problem. Meaning that no penalty stroke
would be assessed- allowable in match play. Player A replaces the ball to
original position. Player A hits, and player B rethinks. Then says a penalty of
one stroke (correct penalty) would be assessed after all.
My question- can Player B take it back before or after the
next shot is hit? Or is it like a putt given cannot be taken back even
before the ball is picked up.
Love your blog-
Lulu from Florida
Dear Lulu,
Here’s the problem, Lulu, from my perspective. If Player A
knows that she has incurred a penalty, and Player B tells her to ignore the
penalty, the two women have agreed to waive a penalty. Players that make such
an agreement are subject to disqualification [Rule 1-3]. When Player B rethinks
her decision and tells Player A that she has incurred a one-stroke penalty for
moving her ball in play, she saves both players from disqualification. So my
answer would be “yes” – she is entitled to change her mind and should do so.
In match play, a player is permitted to ignore a Rules
violation by her opponent [Rule 2-5, Note 1]. The implication is that one
player has unknowingly violated a Rule. Trouble arises in the form of
disqualification when both players know the Rule and both agree to ignore it.
Concession of a match, a hole, or a stroke is another story.
Once a concession has been made, it stands. The player receiving the concession
may not decline it, and nothing she does after the concession matters. For
example, if Lulu concedes Annie’s putt for a 4, and Annie tries and misses the
putt that has already been conceded, her score for the hole is still 4.
Linda
Copyright © 2015 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
