Let's ask some tough Rules Questions.

Lake · November 25, 2007

I'll start things off!!!!!

In stroke play, a competitor's ball moves prior to address and while it is in motion it is accidentally stopped by the competitor's club. The competitor then moves the club and, therefore, moves his ball. The competitor plays his ball from where the ball came to rest.

What is the ruling???

drpino · November 25, 2007

if the ball moved prior to address by anything but an outside agency, it should be played as it lies. since it hit the player's own equipment, rule 19-2 is in effect and the ball should be dropped near where it came to rest (next to his club) incurring a 2-stroke penalty.

since the player moved the equipment, the ball then moved again and he played it from where it came to rest, add 2 more strokes as a penalty for playing the ball from the wrong spot since he should have dropped as near as possible to where it came to rest (next to the club).

[i][b]so my opinion is that whatever score he made, add 4 strokes to it. [/b][/i]

[b]19-2 By Player, Partner, Caddie or Equipment
a. Match Play
If a player’s ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by himself, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment, he loses the hole.
b. Stroke Play
If a competitor’s ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by himself, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment, the competitor incurs a penalty of two strokes. The ball must be played as it lies, except when it comes to rest in or on the competitor’s, his partner’s or either of their caddies’ clothes or equipment, in which case the competitor must through the green or in a hazard drop the ball, or on the putting green place the ball, as near as possible to where the article was when the ball came to rest in or on it.
Exception: Dropped ball — see Rule 20-2a.
(Ball purposely deflected or stopped by player, partner or caddie — see Rule 1-2.)

20-7 Playing from Wrong Place
a. General
A player has played from a wrong place if he makes a stroke with his ball in play:
(i) on a part of the course where the Rules do not permit a stroke to be played or a ball to be dropped or placed; or (ii) when the Rules require a dropped ball to be re-dropped or a moved ball to be replaced. Note: For a ball played from outside the teeing ground or from a wrong teeing ground — see Rule 11-4.
b. Match Play
If a player makes a stroke from a wrong place, he loses the hole.
c. Stroke Play
If a competitor makes a stroke from a wrong place, he incurs a penalty of two strokes under the applicable Rule. He must play out the hole with the ball played from the wrong place, without correcting his error, provided he has not committed a serious breach (see Note 1). If a competitor becomes aware that he has played from a wrong place and believes that he may have committed a serious breach, he must, before making a stroke on the next teeing ground, play out the hole with a second ball dropped or placed in accordance with the Rules. If the hole being played is the last hole of the round, he must declare, before leaving the putting green, that he will play out the hole with a second ball dropped or placed in accordance with the Rules.
The competitor must report the facts to the Committee before returning his score card; if he fails to do so, he is disqualified. The Committee must determine whether the competitor has committed a serious breach of the applicable Rule. If he has, the score with the second ball counts and the competitor must add two penalty strokes to his score with that ball. If the competitor has committed a serious breach and has failed to correct it as outlined above, he is disqualified.
Note 1: A competitor is deemed to have committed a serious breach of the applicable Rule if the Committee considers he has gained a significant advantage as a result of playing from a wrong place.
Note 2: If a competitor plays a second ball under Rule 20-7c and it is ruled not to count, strokes made with that ball and penalty strokes incurred solely by playing that ball are disregarded. If the second ball is ruled to count, the stroke made from the wrong place and any strokes subsequently taken with the original ball including penalty strokes incurred solely by playing that ball are disregarded. [/b]