Linda,
On
our Course, the ground on the right side of one of the Greens slopes towards a
water hazard close to it. The ball picked up from the Green after marking it
accidentally slips out of the hand, rolls into the water hazard and cannot be
retrieved. Surely, he cannot be penalised. Your views please.
Regards,
Lou from
Pune, India
Dear
Lou,
The
player is penalized. Rule 16-1b, the Rule that permits a player to mark and
lift his ball on the green, does not permit substitution of another ball. It
reads: "The position of the ball must be marked before it is lifted and the
ball must be replaced." When the Rules say “the” ball, they refer
to the original ball. The penalty is loss of hole in match play and two strokes
in stroke play [Decision 15-2/1]. The player must be more careful about how he
handles a lifted ball.
Linda
Copyright © 2017 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
