Monday, April 24, 2017

Ask Linda #1516-Who may clean the ball?

Hello Linda,
Hope all is well.
We had a foursomes match play competition on the weekend, three teams playing at one time, so all three balls were on the green.
A marked his ball and gave it to a spectator to clean it.
B and C claimed the hole, saying that the spectator was not his caddie and that he had used two caddies.
What's the ruling?
Your help will be appreciated.
Regards,
Lou from Nairobi, Kenya

Dear Lou,

The Rules do not specify who may clean a player’s ball. Rule 21 permits a ball that has been lifted from a putting green to be cleaned, but it does not assign that job to the caddie or, indeed, to any particular person. Anyone may clean the ball. The player in your narrative did not use two caddies when he handed his ball to a spectator for cleaning.  

Linda
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