rulespin
Paul Kruger is a PGA professional at
The Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia.
by Paul Kruger
what’s the rule – can you make the call?
The scenarios in this month’s quiz are
not hypotheticals! They actually occurred
this past week at the Carnoustie Golf Links
in Carnoustie, Scotland during the 147th
edition of The Open. See if you would have
made the correct rulings for these particular
competitors contending for the Claret Jug.
1. During the fi rst round, after Emiliano
Grillo marked and lifted his ball on the 4th
putting green, he tapped down his ball-marker
with the sole of his putter. Shortly thereafter,
he discovered that his ball-marker was
adhering to the bottom of his putter! What
is the ruling? (a) Without penalty, Grillo must
replace his ball or his ball-marker as near as
possible to where his ball or ball-marker was
positioned prior to the marking or lifting of
his ball. (b) Grillo incurs a one-stroke penalty
for moving his ball-marker. (c) Grillo incurs a
two-stroke penalty for moving his ball marker.
(d) Since the spot from which the ball-marker
was moved can only be estimated, Grillo must
drop his ball as near as possible to that spot.
2. During the second round, the ball of
Matt Wallace came to rest on the fringe of the
13th hole. Subsequently, one of his fellow-
competitors, Padraig Harrington, played
from a greenside bunker causing sand to be
deposited around Wallace’s ball. What is the
ruling? (a) Wallace may remove only the sand
that was deposited on the putting green. (b)
Wallace must drop the ball within one club-
length of, and no nearer the hole than, the
nearest point of relief. (c) Wallace may brush
away the sand around his ball provided he
does not cause his ball to move. (d) Wallace
may mark and lift his ball and clean the sand
from his ball, in addition to removing any of
the sand deposited on the fringe or the putting
green by Harrington’s bunker shot.
3. The 4th and 14th holes at Carnoustie
share a common putting green that is nearly
80 yards long! During the third round,
Thomas Pieters approach shot on the 4th
hole came to rest on the double green so far
away from the hole that he asked if he could
use a club other than his putter to play his
next stroke from the putting green. What is
the ruling? (a) Pieters was required to use
his putter since his ball was on the putting
green. (b) Pieters could use an iron to pitch
or chip his ball on the putting green provided
he could do so without damaging the putting
green. (c) Pieters could leave the fl agstick in
the hole only if he decided to use an iron to
pitch or chip his ball on the putting green.
(d) Pieters was on a wrong putting green and
was required to take relief by dropping off the
putting green. (e) None of the above.
Answers:
1. (a)
According to Rule 20-1 [Lifting
and Marking], if a ball or ball-marker is
accidentally moved in the process of lifting the
ball or marking its position, the ball or ball-
marker must be replaced. Moreover, there
is no penalty, provided the movement of the
ball or ball-marker is directly attributable to
the specifi c act of marking the position of or
lifting the ball. Decision 20-1/6 [Ball-Marker
Moved Accidentally by Player in Process of
Marking Position of Ball] precisely addresses
Grillo’s situation wherein the ball-marker
stuck to the bottom of his putter. Decision 20-
1/6 points out that the movement of the ball-
marker was directly attributable to the specifi c
act of marking the position of the ball.
2. (d)
According to the Defi nition of
“Loose Impediments,” sand and loose soil are
loose impediments on the putting green, but
not elsewhere. Rule 13-2 [Improving Lie, Area
of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play]
states, in part, “A player must not improve …
the position or lie of his ball, the area of his
intended stance or swing, [or] his line of play
… by … removing or pressing down sand ….”
Nevertheless, according to Decision 13-2/8.5
[Player’s Lie Aff ected by Sand from Partner’s,
Opponent’s or Fellow-Competitor’s Stroke
Continued on Page 8
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