Linda,
It's a windy day. A player is in the bunker addressing his
ball when the wind blows a leaf into the bunker, which then hits his club. Is
there a rule that covers this scenario (I cannot see one), and following on
from this is any penalty attached to "touching, by definition, a loose
impediment in the bunker?” And if there is a penalty applying, does it make any
difference if the leaf is blown along the ground, or airborne?
Regards,
Lou from Australia
Dear Lou,
The player does not
incur a penalty when a natural occurrence (e.g., the wind) causes a loose
impediment to contact his club when he addresses a ball (or begins his
backswing, or does anything else) in a bunker.
The player does
incur a penalty when he is responsible
for touching or moving a loose impediment lying in a hazard before he makes his stroke [Rule
13-4c]. Don’t forget that the backswing is not part of the stroke.
Linda
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