I've looked at the rules for this & find some
conflicting interpretations.
The situation was a pair match play. I've outlined the
scenario, would appreciate your thoughts.
Team 1: Players A & B
Team 2: Players C & D
Player A accidentally kicked her partner B's ball. No
penalty was taken & Player A went on to par the hole & halve it with
team 2 Player C. Team 1 Player A moved the ball back to approximately where it
was and Player B continued on the hole; however, her score wasn't necessary.
We wondered if there was a 1 shot penalty for Player A, or
loss of hole, or no penalty. We played the latter. Didn't matter too much in
the end as we won outright. However, had the game been closer, it could have
been interesting…
Any input gratefully received.
Lulu from Sydney, Australia
Dear Lulu,
Rule 18-2a addresses this question. It states unequivocally
that if a player’s ball is moved by her partner, the player incurs a one-stroke
penalty and the ball must be replaced. There are exceptions, but accidentally
kicking your partner’s ball is not one of them.
Linda
Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
