Hi Linda,
In our stroke play competition yesterday one of the players
hit a shot which suckered just off the fairway in the second cut. We have a
sucker ball rule in place during wet conditions allowing a lift, clean and
drop. He dropped but his ball rolled back into the same hole he had lifted out
of! We weren't sure of the ruling – some felt because the ball was no longer
suckered he had to play it as it lies. To be on the safe side he played that
ball and another one and recorded both scores so his card has been deemed
provisional awaiting clarification.
Many thanks yet again for your help with the rules.
Lou from Auckland, New Zealand
Dear Lou,
I’m assuming that by “suckered” you mean “embedded.”
When a player is taking free relief from an embedded ball,
and the dropped ball rolls back into the same pitch mark in which it was
originally embedded, the player must re-drop the ball [Rule 20-2c (v)]. If it
falls back in a second time, he must place the ball on the spot where the
second drop hit the ground.
Linda
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