Hi Linda,
I always play second-hand balls. Recently one of these balls
had a small imperfection, possible a grain of sand, embedded in the outer
cover.
I pried the grain out with my penknife and was informed that
modifying the ball in play (the ball had been marked on the green) was illegal,
and thus I was socked with a two-stroke penalty.
I protested. Who is correct?
Thanks
Lou from Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dear Lou,
You are correct.
There does happen to be a Rule that penalizes the player for
applying foreign material to the ball for the purpose of changing its playing
characteristics [Rule 5-2]; that Rule carries a penalty of disqualification.
However, you did not apply anything to the ball. Prying out
a grain of sand constitutes cleaning the ball. Rule 21 permits the player to
clean a ball that has been marked and lifted on the putting green. You did not
incur a penalty.
Linda
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