Ask Linda 1966-Ball interferes with another player’s ball

Dear Linda, 

I was playing yesterday in my Monday league on our regular play day. At one point my ball, on the fringe around green, infringed on another player’s ball and stroke (also on the fringe). I marked my ball and picked it up. I believe I automatically put it in my pocket. One of the other players suggested that I needed to pick ball up between thumb and forefinger and hold it that way while the other played her stroke (our team has experienced this issue in Team/match play also). I know it needs to be replaced as it was before lifting and marking and I did not clean it. She indicated it is a one-stroke penalty for not lifting ball with the two digits. I suppose the two-digit lift is designed to assure it is not “cleaned” by a pocket or the hand if palmed. Is there a proper way to lift and hold the ball while the other player completes her stroke that receives a penalty if not done correctly? I see no reference to the two-digit pick-up in the rules.

Thank you, 

Lulu from California

Dear Lulu,

You are not permitted to clean your ball when another player requires you to mark and lift your ball because it might interfere with her play [Rule 15.3b(2)]. If you clean your ball, the penalty is one stroke.

It is customary to lift the ball carefully with two fingers, so as to avoid any impression that you cleaned your ball. It would be hard to imagine that your ball was not cleaned in some way during the process of putting it into your pocket and subsequently taking it out, unless it was known that the ball was perfectly clean before it was lifted. Please read Interpretation 14.1c/1 for additional guidance.

There is no Rule that specifically requires the two-finger lift, but I think you will be hard pressed to come up with another lifting procedure that will assure the other golfers in your group that you have not wiped anything off your ball. Be aware that if you lift the ball carefully between two fingers and some dirt or mud falls off, you do not have the try to stick it back on.

I am somewhat concerned by your statement that you marked and picked up your ball. I hope what you meant was that you marked and picked up at the request of the other player. You are not permitted to lift your ball simply because you believe it will interfere with another player’s shot. If you lift it without being requested to do so, you incur one penalty stroke [Rule 15.3b(2), last two paragraphs].

Also, when you replace the ball, it does not have to be replaced "as it was," but rather "where" it was.  The ball may be replaced in any orientation, except that if there is mud (or anything else) adhering to the ball, you may not replace the ball so that it is teed up on that mud.

Linda

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