Dear Linda,
In our recent outing we were playing stroke play and from
the tee box one of the player’s balls was deflected by a motorized cart I
shared with another fellow competitor. I gave him a 1-stroke penalty under
Rule 19-2 and told him the ball must be played as it lies, but he refused. He
said he should replay the shot because it was the fault of the player sharing
my cart for parking it about one cart-length ahead of the tee box marker. I
told the player he should have asked the player sharing my cart to move it if
it was mentally interfering with him (like marking your ball on the putting
green). He said he should not have to ask because it is the responsibility of
the driver to park the cart properly and if he hit the cart it is not his
fault. So he replayed the shot. To tell you the truth, it also mentally
interfered with my swing but I did not request that the cart be moved. What is
the ruling?
Thank you,
Lou
Dear Lou,
In an individual stroke play competition there is no penalty
if your ball hits another player’s cart. The ball must be played as it lies
[Rule 19-1].
Your decision to impose a one-stroke penalty was incorrect.
The player would only incur a penalty if the cart belonged to him.
When the player replayed the shot, he was playing under
stroke and distance. His second tee shot was his third stroke on the hole. He
was not entitled to replay the shot.
If he failed to include the penalty and the second tee shot in his score for
the hole when he turned in his scorecard, he would be disqualified from the
competition.
This is not an example of “mental interference.” The cart
was parked ahead of the tee markers where an errant tee shot might (and did!)
strike it. The player was within his rights to request that the cart be moved.
Since he made no such request, the responsibility for hitting the cart is his
alone. Again, he incurs no penalty for hitting the cart, and he must play the
ball as it lies.
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
