3.2.07

2007 #4 Permission to Mark Ball

THE SCENE:
You are playing hole #15. Your second shot is short of the green.. You pitch your ball high in the air and even though you can’t see it, you think it settles near the hole. When you arrive on the green, however, you discover that you are away. You line up your ball and putt. It takes 3 putts to hole your ball. After everyone putts out, you notice a ball marker near the hole and ask who it belongs to. Your fellow competitor says, “Oh, that’s where I marked your ball. Why did you play from way over there?” You place your hands on your hips and say, “You did what!?! You had no right to lift my ball. You didn’t ask my permission.” You stab your finger at her. “You are going to get a big penalty.”

Who does get penalized?
A. She didn’t have the right to lift your ball. She incurs a penalty of one stroke.
B. You are penalized for playing a wrong ball (a ball that has been set aside)
C. There are no penalties for anyone. You must re-putt from where your ball was lifted.

C is correct There are no penalties. It is true that she didn’t have the right to lift your ball without your authorization (Rule 20-1) but in Stroke Play she is not penalized. (Rule 18-4)

Rule 20-1 Lifting and Marking
A ball to be lifted under the Rules may be lifted by the player, his partner or another person authorized by the player.
Rule 18-4 Ball moved by Fellow-Competitor, Caddie or Equipment in Stroke Play
If a fellow-competitor, his caddie or his equipment moves the player’s ball, touches it or causes it to move, there is no penalty. If the ball is moved, it must be replaced.


Since you didn’t know your ball had been set aside, you incur no penalty. But you must replay from where your ball was lifted.

Decision 15-3b/3 Fellow-Competitor Lifts Competitor’s Ball and Sets It Aside; Competitor Plays Ball from Where Set Aside

Q. In stroke play, B marked the position of A’s ball on the putting green, lifted it and placed it nearby on the green. A failed to replace the ball. He putted it from where it lay and holed out. The error was then discovered. What is the ruling?
A. When a ball is lifted, it is out of play. When A played a stroke with his ball which was out of play, he played a wrong ball….
..If A did not know that B had lifted his ball, A could not be penalized for playing a wrong ball. If he became aware of the mistake before playing from the next tee, he was required to replace his ball on the correct spot, without penalty, and complete the hole. If he learned of the mistake after playing from the next tee, the score with the wrong ball would stand and there would be no penalty.

REMEMBER: If you want to mark someone’s ball on the green, first ask her permission. Then don’t set the ball aside. Hand it to her and show her where you marked it. There is no penalty for failing to do this, but we should show consideration for others on the course at all times.

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