Linda,
I am confused! Watching Ladies U.S. open Lucy Li said
she believed her ball moved (on putting green). She was deemed not to have
caused ball to move so was told to leave ball in new position and putt.
OK, now I just read on Rules of Golf a European golfer did the same and
they said he should have replaced his ball (if I read it right)...What is the
Rule!!? Thanks
Lulu from Sarasota, Florida
Dear Lulu,
If the player was deemed not responsible for the movement of the ball, nature was
responsible (e.g., wind, gravity). A ball moved by nature is not replaced; it
must be played from its new position [Rule 18-1 Note].
If the player is deemed responsible for the movement of the
ball, she incurs a one-stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced [Rule 18-2].
There is a Local Rule available that absolves the player from
the penalty for accidentally moving the ball on the putting green. If this
Local Rule is adopted, the player replaces the ball and does not incur a
penalty; if it is not adopted, the ball is replaced and the player incurs a one-stroke
penalty.
Here is an FAQ from the USGA that you may find helpful:
Rule
Ball in Play Moved by Wind or
Gravity
Q.
A player replaces his ball on
the putting green and the ball is at rest. Without addressing the ball the
player steps away to read his putt.
The ball moves either due to the
wind or the slope of the putting green. How should the player proceed?
A.
The player must play his ball
from the new position without penalty.
If the ball was moved into the
hole then the player is deemed to have holed out with his previous stroke
(Decision 20-3d/1).
Note: It is not relevant whether
the player had removed his ball-marker before the ball was moved by the wind or
gravity as the player's ball was in play when it was replaced (Rule 20-4).
You may also be interested in Decision 18-1/12, which talks
about a ball that is replaced and at rest and subsequently moved by the wind,
and Decision 18-2/7, in which a player mistakenly replaces a ball that was
moved by the wind.
Linda
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