Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Ask Linda #323–Stepping on a ball



Linda, I was playing golf on the weekend. One of my pals asked what happens if you are in a tournament & you accidentally step on someone's ball while walking.
Lulu

Dear Lulu,

In a stroke play tournament there is no penalty. If the ball is moved, it must be replaced [Rule 18-4].

In a match play competition, there is no penalty for stepping on another player’s ball if it happens while searching for it. If the ball is stepped on and moved at any other time, the player who stepped on the ball will incur a one-stroke penalty [Rule 18-3a, b]. In all cases, the ball must be replaced.

If the lie of the ball is altered, then the player must place the ball in a similar lie that is within one club-length and no closer to the hole.

Linda 
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