Linda,
Golfer takes a swing and hits trees in her back swing. She
did not break any branches, but I think some leaves came down. She stops her
swing, adjusts her alignment and takes another swing and hits the ball. Is it a
penalty for hitting the trees in her backswing? She was not in a hazard.
Thanks,
Lulu from Sarasota, Florida
Dear Lulu,
There is no penalty for hitting a tree in your backswing and
discontinuing your swing unless you improve the area of your intended swing. If
the player had broken a branch, she would have incurred a two-stroke penalty
[Decision 13-2/14.5].
The leaves are a little trickier. If she knocked down a few
leaves, but there were more leaves remaining that would still pose a
distraction, there would be no penalty. However, if the leaves that came down
were the only leaves in her way, she would incur a two-stroke penalty for
improving the area of her intended swing [Decision 13-2/0.5].
The backswing is not part of the stroke A player has not
made a stroke until she swings the club forward with the intention to hit the
ball. If a player voluntarily stops her swing before the clubhead reaches the
ball, she has not made a stroke [Definition of “Stroke”].
Linda
Copyright © 2017 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
