Golf Monthly UK – August 2019

Youmustnotlifta

ballalreadyinplay

andsubstituteitfor

another model

Ifaplayerputtsaballhe

isn’tawarehasbeen

moved, there is no penalty

Whileplayinginmyclub’s
monthlymedalrecently,
anotherplayerinmygrouphit
ashotfromthefairwaythatlandedin
thedeeprough.Heannouncedhe
wouldplayaprovisionalball,whichhe
droppedcorrectlyunderthenew
Rules.Hethendeclaredhis
provisionalballwasaSrixon1.Before
hehithisshot,myotherplaying
companionannouncedthiswasthe
samemakeandnumberashisball, so
theplayerproceededtolifthis
provisionalandreplaceitbyre-
droppingadifferentballinthecorrect
mannerbeforeplayingit.Hisoriginal
ballwasneverfound.Aftertheroundit
occurredtomethatthismightnotbe
permittedasthefirstballwasinplay
oncecorrectlydroppedandshould
havebeenplayedregardless.Washe
entitledtoredrop another ball without
anypenalty?
Jimmy McCulloch, via email

Oncetheplayercorrectly
droppedtheprovisionalball
undertheRulesandit
subsequentlybecametheballinplay,
hewasnotallowedtolifttheballor
substituteitforanother.Ashedidso,
he should have received the general

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penaltyunderRule6.3b.Asthelifting

andsubstitutionarerelatedacts,the

playeronlygetsthe general penalty

(Rule1.3c(4)).

DanielSommerville,

R&A Rules manager

Q

A

Duringarecentround,weall

hitourshotstothegreen.I

arrivedatthegreenlaterthan

mypartnerswhileI fixedaproblem

withmytrolley.Unknowntome,oneof

theplayersmarkedmyballandplaced

ittothesidesohecouldputtout.I then

holedmyballfromwherehehad

placedit.WeonlyrealisedI hadputted

fromthewrongplacewhenheasked

forhisballmarker.Luckilyitwasjusta

socialgame,butI hadmostlikelyholed

outfromnearertheholethantheball

markerwas.Whatshouldwe have

done?Isthereapenalty?

Clive Appleby, via email

Thereisnopenaltytoeither

player.Theballwasmovedby

anoutsideinfluencewithout

knowledgeoftheplayerpriortothe

strokebeingmade,thereforethe

playerisnotpenalisedforplaying from

awrongplaceinthissituation

(Interpretation9.6/3).

DanielSommerville,

R&A Rules manager

Q

A

RULES