Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Ask Linda #1457-Embedded ball dropped back into same hole

Hi Linda,
In our stroke play competition yesterday one of the players hit a shot which suckered just off the fairway in the second cut. We have a sucker ball rule in place during wet conditions allowing a lift, clean and drop. He dropped but his ball rolled back into the same hole he had lifted out of! We weren't sure of the ruling – some felt because the ball was no longer suckered he had to play it as it lies. To be on the safe side he played that ball and another one and recorded both scores so his card has been deemed provisional awaiting clarification.

Many thanks yet again for your help with the rules.
Lou from Auckland, New Zealand

Dear Lou,

I’m assuming that by “suckered” you mean “embedded.”

When a player is taking free relief from an embedded ball, and the dropped ball rolls back into the same pitch mark in which it was originally embedded, the player must re-drop the ball [Rule 20-2c (v)]. If it falls back in a second time, he must place the ball on the spot where the second drop hit the ground.

Linda
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