Linda:
A player, while removing a rake from a bunker,
accidently drops his putter in the bunker. Is there a penalty, since he
did not "place" the club in the bunker, but dropped it?
Lou from Kailua, Hawaii
Dear Lou,
I received this very same question in 2009. The answer has
not changed:
You will not incur a penalty for accidentally
dropping your club –or even yourself, should you trip and fall– in a hazard. As
long as you have not deliberately dropped your club or fallen in the
sand to test the condition of the hazard, and you have not improved your lie,
the area of your intended stance or swing, or your line of play, you’re good to
go [Rule 13-4, Exception 1]. Pick yourself (or your club) up, dust yourself
off, and proceed with your shot.
Linda
Copyright © 2016 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
