MGA Question 11

[Newby]

11. Side A-B is playing in a group with side C-D in a Four-Ball stroke play event. On the 1 st hole, A is left with a 15-foot putt for a double bogey on the same line as B’s 5-foot birdie putt. C and D have 10-foot putts for par. Upon reaching the putting green, Player A realizes his putter is in the car and began the round with only 13 clubs. The player immediately sends his caddie to retrieve the putter. Realizing that A’s score for the hole will likely not count, A lifts the ball. While waiting for C and D to complete the hole, A borrows B’s putter and, in order to gain knowledge of the green speeds, makes a practice putt from the spot where the ball had been lifted. A’s practice putt is away from the hole and on a line that is perpendicular to the line of B’s remaining putt. A then returns the putter to B, who holes their putt.

What are the penalties, if any?

A. A is assessed a two-stroke penalty; Player B is not penalized.

B. A and B are each assessed two-stroke penalties.

C. There is no penalty to either player.

D. Player A receives four penalty strokes and must declare Player B’s putter as out of play.

[Hawkeye77]

A.

[antip]

The facts in this case do not lend themselves to a complete accounting for A's actions. We are told A lifts the ball because his score for the hole will likely not count, however, simply lifting a ball in play gets a penalty, the scale of the penalty depending on what the player does next. The penalty issues we are able to answer are:

1) A gets a general penalty for breach of 5.5, for making a practice stroke before B has finished play of the hole (5.5b/1 helps illuminate); and

2) Neither A nor B get a penalty for sharing a club, courtesy of 4.1b(2)/2, so 23.8a(2) does not apply.

 

So answer A is the closest, but is not precisely correct unless further information is supplied relating to A lifting their ball. Par for the MGA course, some excellent rules detail testing gets muddied such that the offered answers can be incomplete. You be the judge of whether this is intentional or simply poor editing.

[rogolf]

1 hour ago, antip said:

The facts in this case do not lend themselves to a complete accounting for A's actions. We are told A lifts the ball because his score for the hole will likely not count, however, simply lifting a ball in play gets a penalty, the scale of the penalty depending on what the player does next. The penalty issues we are able to answer are:

1) A gets a general penalty for breach of 5.5, for making a practice stroke before B has finished play of the hole (5.5b/1 helps illuminate); and

2) Neither A nor B get a penalty for sharing a club, courtesy of 4.1b(2)/2, so 23.8a(2) does not apply.

 

So answer A is the closest, but is not precisely correct unless further information is supplied relating to A lifting their ball. Par for the MGA course, some excellent rules detail testing gets muddied such that the offered answers can be incomplete. You be the judge of whether this is intentional or simply poor editing.

deleted - misread the question!

Edited February 12, 2021 by rogolf

[antip]

I think you just made an MGA person happy!

[rogolf]

6 minutes ago, antip said:

I think you just made an MGA person happy!

No doubt. 

[Halebopp]

Agree with Antip, sharing a club for a practice stroke is fine but making a practice stroke before the side has finished the play of the hole is not ok, leading to the General Penalty for player A. B isn't penalised because the practice stroke didn't help B.

 

As the breach didn't happen in between the play of two holes, the penalty should be applied to the hole being played so I don't understand why none of the answer options include the one-stroke penalty for lifting the ball in play without marking it first to make the total 3 penalty strokes.

[TerpFangolfer]

I got A...gen pen for A for practice during hole, but he didn't help partner & no club pen for practice with partners putter.

[Mr. Bean]

On 2/12/2021 at 3:20 AM, antip said:

The facts in this case do not lend themselves to a complete accounting for A's actions. We are told A lifts the ball because his score for the hole will likely not count, however, simply lifting a ball in play gets a penalty, the scale of the penalty depending on what the player does next. The penalty issues we are able to answer are:

1) A gets a general penalty for breach of 5.5, for making a practice stroke before B has finished play of the hole (5.5b/1 helps illuminate); and

2) Neither A nor B get a penalty for sharing a club, courtesy of 4.1b(2)/2, so 23.8a(2) does not apply.

 

So answer A is the closest, but is not precisely correct unless further information is supplied relating to A lifting their ball. Par for the MGA course, some excellent rules detail testing gets muddied such that the offered answers can be incomplete. You be the judge of whether this is intentional or simply poor editing.

 

The score of A did not count so the penalty he incurred for lifting his ball in play has no bearing, right?

[antip]

4 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

The score of A did not count so the penalty he incurred for lifting his ball in play has no bearing, right?

So why mention any penalties for player A? 3 of the 4 answers include penalties for A.

 

[Mr. Bean]

14 hours ago, antip said:

So why mention any penalties for player A? 3 of the 4 answers include penalties for A.

 

 

Fair point. I have no clue 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Newby]

#11 A Interpretation 4.1b(2)/2, Interpretation 5.5b/1, Rule 5.5a