Hi Linda,
This summer we had a situation in a match play, where a
player ends in greenside bunker. He steps down into the bunker. The player
takes practise swings over or near to his ball inside the bunker. In this
process he doesn’t touch the sand in the bunker, but to his own surprise
incidentally hits the bunker face in front of him, and pitches off a chunk of
the turf into the bunker. He throws the turf onto the fairway, and continues
with bunker shot.
Is the player in breach of Rule 13-2 for improving intended
line of swing in the bunker, and therefore losing the hole?
Keep swinging.
Best regards,
Lou from Gullane, Scotland
Dear Lou,
Without witnessing the event, I cannot say for certain
whether the player improved the area of his intended swing. What I can tell you
is that the player loses the hole because he removed a loose impediment from
the bunker [Rule 23-1].
Linda
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