Dear Linda,
My question is about rule 18-5.
In stroke play, my ball in play is in the middle of the
fairway, my fellow competitor plays her shot and her ball strikes my ball
knocking it 20 yards further on.
The Rule states: “If a ball in play and at rest is moved by
another ball in motion after a stroke, the moved ball must be replaced.” So I
should put my ball back to where it lay? Or is the other player's ball an
outside agency and so my ball should be left where it now is?
Many thanks for all your help,
Lulu from Belfast, Northern Ireland
Dear Lulu,
You must replace your ball. Rule 18-5 is very clear on this
point. If Lulu’s ball is lying peacefully in the fairway, and Annie hits a ball
that moves Lulu’s ball, Annie will play her ball as it lies and Lulu must replace her ball. The ruling does
not change if you prefer to think of Annie’s moving ball as an “outside
agency.” Rule 18-1 tells you that you must
replace a ball that has been moved by an outside agency. If you fail to replace
your ball, the penalty is two strokes (loss of hole in match play).
Linda
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