Hi Linda,
This question came up after our round. I mentioned that Greg
Norman, during his latest quest for the British Open, addressed his ball then
walked away; it was quite windy. My feeling was that once you address the ball
and walk away and the ball moves you are assessed a stroke and have to put the
ball back in it's original position. Am I correct?
Lou from Florida
Dear Lou,
Yes, you are correct. Once a player has addressed his ball
he is responsible for any subsequent movement, even if he walks away and
returns to it later. He is only exempt from penalty if is known or virtually
certain that some observable force caused his ball to move. Wind, water, or an
outside agency would be “observable forces;” gravity would not [Rule 18-2b,
Decisions 18-2b/1 and 18-2b/7].
The penalty is one stroke and the ball must be replaced. If
it is not replaced, the penalty increases to two strokes (loss of hole in match
play).
Linda
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