Dear readers,
Please disregard the notice you received about the Linwood tournament. That notice was meant to be posted on my tournament blog.
Linda
Hi Linda,
Please disregard the notice you received about the Linwood tournament. That notice was meant to be posted on my tournament blog.
Linda
Hi Linda,
Today in our Club Foursomes Championships I was on the green
and had marked my ball while waiting to putt. I returned the ball to the ground
just in front of the ball marker, and as I was lifting up the marker I knocked
the putter out of my left hand, which then subsequently fell to the ground and
moved the ball a few centimeters.
Our referee and opponents made me take a one-stroke penalty
and replace the ball. I was wondering that as I was lifting up the ball marker
and was in the process of lifting and replacing the ball, should I not have
been penalised and simply replaced the ball?
Rule 20-3a:
“If a ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved
in the process of placing or replacing the ball, the ball or ball-marker must
be replaced. There is no penalty, provided the movement of the ball or
ball-marker is directly attributable to the specific act of placing or
replacing the ball or removing the ball-marker. Otherwise, the player incurs a
penalty of one stroke under Rule 18-2
or 20-1.”
What do you think the correct decision should be?
Lulu from Sydney, Australia
Dear Lulu,
Your referee made the correct decision assessing you one
penalty stroke for moving your ball in play (but see my last paragraph for an
exception provided by Local Rule).
The movement of your ball was not directly attributable to
the process of replacing it. The meaning of “directly attributable” is
explained in Decision 20-1/15. There is no penalty if your ball is moved by
your hand as you replace it, or the ball is moved when you pick up your ball
marker. These acts are part of the process of replacing your ball. Knocking the
putter out of your left hand and dropping it on the ball is not part of this process
– one-stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced [Rule 20-3a].
However, the USGA and R&A added a Local Rule in December
of 2016 that makes any accidental movement of your ball on the putting green a
no-penalty situation. If your club has adopted this Local Rule, the referee
erred in directing you to include a penalty. If the competition has not closed,
the referee's error should be corrected and the penalty rescinded [Decision
34-3/1]. Here is the recommended wording of this Local Rule:
“Accidental
Movement of a Ball on a Putting Green
Rules 18-2,
18-3 and 20-1 are modified as follows:
When a
player’s ball lies on the putting green, there is no penalty if the ball or
ball-marker is accidentally moved by the player, his partner, his opponent, or
any of their caddies or equipment.
The moved
ball or ball-marker must be replaced as provided in Rules 18-2, 18-3 and 20-1.
This Local
Rule applies only when the player’s ball or ball-marker lies on the putting
green and any movement is accidental.
Note: If it is
determined that a player’s ball on the putting green was moved as a result of
wind, water or some other natural cause such as the effects of gravity, the
ball must be played as it lies from its new location. A ball-marker moved in
such circumstances is replaced.”
Linda
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