Hi Linda,
Playing recently my partner attended the flag as I putted.
Sadly it got stuck in the hole and try as he might to wrestle it out it
remained stuck. My ball hit the flag as it went in.
It seems unfair to apply a penalty in the circumstances.
What do the rules say?
Thanks
Lou from West Wickham, England
Dear Lou,
The Rules assess a two-stroke penalty (loss of hole in match
play) to the player who hits the ball if it strikes the flagstick when it is attended
[Rule 17-3a].
Knowing that, the player who is putting should make sure the
player who is attending the flagstick attempts to remove it before he putts.
The first attempt to remove the flagstick should always occur prior to the
putt. My recommendation would be to take it out of the hole as soon as the
request has been made to attend, and rest the bottom of the flagstick at the
bottom of the cup but outside the hole.
This penalty is easy to avoid if both players pay attention
to their responsibilities. It is not an unfair penalty, as it is only through
carelessness that it occurs.
Linda
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