2004 #14 Do you want that ball to be marked?

THE SCENE:
On hole #2, your drive lands in the sand on the right of the putting green. You climb down into the bunker, take your stance and prepare to swing. Then you spot another ball on the green just beyond the hole.

What would you do?
A.  Ask the owner to mark her ball to prevent a 2-stroke penalty if your ball hits hers?
B.  Say nothing and hope she doesn’t mark? If your ball misses the hole it might be stopped by her ball.


B is correct. 

If your ball hit hers, there would be no penalty because your ball is not on the green.

Open your Rules of Golf book to Rule 19-5. You will see the following:

Rule 19 Ball in motion deflected or stopped
19-5. By Another Ball
a. At Rest
If a player’s ball in motion after a stroke is deflected or stopped by a ball in play and at rest, the player must play his ball as it lies. In match play, there is no penalty. In stroke play, there is no penalty unless both balls lay on the putting green prior to the stroke, in which case the player incurs a penalty of two strokes.

There is no penalty, so base your decision on whether or not you want the ball moved. If her ball is short of the hole, it could prevent your ball from going in the hole. If it is beyond the hole, it could serve as a backstop.

REMEMBER: If your ball is NOT on the putting green, there is no penalty if your ball hits a ball that IS on the green.