Dear
Linda,
In
recent days, with the hurricane winds, this is what I experienced...
I addressed
the ball on the green. Strong winds were affecting me and my hat, so I stood up
and backed away from the ball by a few steps to wait for the wind to stop. Then
the ball began to roll, being pushed by the wind for several feet.
What
would the ruling be for how I should proceed?
Lulu
Dear
Lulu,
Ordinarily,
once a player has addressed the ball, she is responsible if the ball
subsequently moves, even if she moves away from the ball [Rule 18-2b]. However,
there is now an exception to 18-2b, which absolves the player of the
responsibility for the ball moving “if it is known or virtually certain that
the player did not cause his ball to move.”
Judging
from your description, the hurricane winds were clearly responsible, and you
would therefore incur no penalty. You must play the ball from its new spot. You
never replace a ball that has been moved by the wind.
Linda
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© 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
