Ciao Linda,
I am reading the Decisions book to find out the solution to
something I saw on the course.
Scenario: The players are on the green. Player A replaced
the ball after lifting, he removed the marker and then started aligning the
ball to the hole by touching and rotating the ball, moving a step backward to
check the alignment, then touching the ball again, etc. He did this two or
three times before putting.
Decision 1-4/12 should help me to understand, but it
doesn't. Should those 2 or 3 touches be considered a single action (connected
actions, #3) or individual actions (#6)?
He has to be charged for a 1-stroke penalty or more?
As usual, thanks for your reply.
Best regards from the Czech Republic.
Dear Lou,
A single penalty is applied when the player breaches the
same Rule more than once prior to his stroke. The situation you describe is
similar to the first example under #3 of Decision 1-4/12. In that example, the
player takes several practice swings in a bunker, touching the ground each
time. The player is penalized only once.
In your situation, the player rotated his unmarked ball
several times prior to putting the ball. The penalty for deliberately touching
or moving your ball in play is one stroke [Rule 18-2]. Even though the player
rotated the ball several times, he is only assessed one penalty stroke for the
infraction.
The ruling is logical. The player was unaware of one Rule. It would be unfair to
penalize him several times for multiple, consecutive violations of the same
Rule. On the other hand, if he rotated the unmarked ball once, was immediately
informed by a fellow competitor or opponent (or anyone) that his action was not
permitted under the Rules, and he subsequently rotated the unmarked ball, he
would incur a penalty for each of those additional rotations. As soon as the
player is made aware of an infraction, he cannot avoid penalty for subsequent
violations of the same Rule.
Linda
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