Golf Rules Q & A - 61 to 70

QUESTION 61:
During tournament play, due to impending bad weather, the tournament committee sounded a suspension of play warning after one of four players in a foursome had struck her tee shot.
All players in the group continued playing the hole before heeding the suspension of play.

Is there a rules violation here?

ANSWER 61:
According to Rule 6-8(b), if players have started a hole, they may either discontinue play immediately or continue to play the hole before halting play, unless the committee has established a rule that calls for immediate cessation of play in potentially dangerous situations.



QUESTION 62:
Prior to his big afternoon match with Bill, Tom plays a practice round on the course.

Has he violated any rules?

ANSWER 62:
If Tom were involved in a stroke-play competition, he would be disqualified; however, Rule 7-1(a) states that on any day of a match-play competition, a player may practice on the competition course before a round.

So, Tom has acted within the rules.


QUESTION 63:
While preparing to putt, a player decides to clear some leaves and debris from his intended line. In doing so, he uses his putter to steady himself while bending to pick up the debris.
Inadvertently, his putter rested on the line of his putt and smoothed spike marks along the line.

Given the circumstances, has he committed a rules breach?

ANSWER 63:
Yes. According to Rule 16-1(a), a player may remove loose impediments from his line, provided he does not press anything down.

There is no exception for inadvertent actions.

In stroke play, the penalty is two strokes, in match play it is loss of the hole.


QUESTION 64:
While preparing to putt, a player notices a poorly repaired ball mark that interferes with his intended line. The player repairs the ball mark.

Has he incurred a penalty for repairing the ball mark in his line?

ANSWER 64:
No. Rule 16 prevents the line of the putt to be touched or improved; however, subsection (c) allows for ball marks, poorly repaired ball marks, and hole plugs to be repaired.

Other damage to the green, such as spike marks, may not be repaired when preparing to putt.


QUESTION 65:
Player A is facing a slick, downhill, right-to-left breaking chip from just off the green. Player B, his partner, has already played and his ball rests below the hole and slightly to the left.
They agree to leave Player B's ball where it lies without marking it.

Is a ruling on their actions required and have they broken a rule?


ANSWER 65:
Rule 22-1 provides that a player may lift his ball if he considers it could assist another player. In this case, the player's ball could stop his partner's ball from travelling well past the hole.

As the rule states that the player "may" lift his ball, it does not require him to do so. No penalty is incurred in this instance.

However, in stroke play, if the Committee determines that competitors have agreed not to lift a ball that might assist any competitor, they are disqualified.


QUESTION 66:
Rule 14-5 provides that a player must not make a stroke at a moving ball.
In Wendy's case, after she addressed the ball and began her swing, a gust of wind moved her ball backward. She could not stop her stroke and struck the ball as it was moving.

Has she incurred any penalty?

ANSWER 66:
There is no penalty under Rule 14-5 because the ball began to move after Wendy had begun her backswing. However, because she had addressed her ball before it started to move she incurred one penalty stroke under Rule 18-2b.


QUESTION 67:
A player's ball comes to rest near a movable rubbish bin. The player lifts the ball and drops it, in a manner in keeping with the Rules, away from the obstruction.

Has he committed a rules infraction?

ANSWER 67:
Rule 24-2(b) provides that a movable obstruction that interferes with a stroke be moved.
An obstruction is movable if it can be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. As the rubbish bin was movable the player should not have taken relief, he should have moved the bin and played the ball as it lay (Rule 24-1). The player incurred a two stroke penalty in stroke play, or loss of hole in match play.


QUESTION 68:
On the morning, prior to the start of a stroke-play competition, Winston finishes his practice on the driving range by aiming and hitting two drives into the fairway of one of the competitive holes.

Has he violated Rule 7-1(b), which prevents him from practicing on the course on the day of a stroke-play competition?

ANSWER 68:
By definition, he has violated the Rule.
Although he did not play a shot from on the course, his intention was to land his drive on the competition course.
His penalty is stiff: disqualification.

QUESTION 69:
Two friends are pitted against one another in a match-play competition. While both are on the putting green preparing to putt, Wesley marks Walter's ball and tosses it to him as a courtesy.

Is either person subject to a penalty?

ANSWER 69:
Rule 20-1 states that a player's ball may be lifted by an opponent with the player's permission.

Since he did not ask for permission to mark and lift the ball, Wesley has innocently run afoul of the Rules and incurs a one-stroke penalty [pursuant to Rule 18-3(b)].


QUESTION 70:
Sam hit a blind approach shot into the green on the 7th hole. Unable to locate his ball, he returned to the spot of the original shot and put another ball into play.
Upon approaching the green, his playing partner discovered that Sam's first ball was in the hole.

After putting a second ball into play, was Sam playing the wrong ball and subject to a penalty under Rule 15?

ANSWER 70:
No. His original approach shot came to rest in the hole. By definition, his ball was "holed"
and play of the hole was complete at that point.

There is no penalty.

Now I know that Question 62 only apply to stroke play. Initially, I thought all format of play.