The rules of golf are difficult! Luckily we have the guru. Our Rules Man knows the book from cover to cover. Do you have a question? He has all the answers.
My foursome was on the putting green with the flag out of the hole, lying on the green. A player from the group behind us teed off, hit the green and his ball hit the flag. Is there a punishment for this impatient bomber? —Brad Henrick, via email
Verily (or, as the kids would annoyingly say, “Actually”), under Rule 13.2b(2), there is no penalty for Mr. Big Hitter, other than a tsk-tsk for breach of etiquette.
It should also be noted that there would be no penalty if someone from your group accidentally hit the removed flagpole; you simply play the ball as it lies.
To overcome the potential objection, “accidentally” means just that, unlike someone on purpose Placing the flagpole beyond the hole to serve as a safety net, for example, isn’t a scenario worth considering, since Rules Guy lives in a world where everyone behaves commendably, not diabolically.
For more flagpole-related guidelines from our guru, read on…
A player’s ball is one foot from the hole. He thinks the flagstick is a little off center, so he decides to center it, and while still holding it in one hand, he sinks the putt with his other hand. When I read Rule 13.2a and b and the interpretations, I don’t understand whether this action is allowed. Maybe you can help. —Marius Bugge, Norway
Rule 13.2a allows a player to place the flagstick in the center of the hole.
Interpretation 13.2b(1)/2 allows a player to hold the flagstick in one hand while making a stroke with the other hand. But it also states that the player must not intentionally let the moving ball hit the flagstick.
So this player had to let go of the flagstick before sinking the putt. He incurs the general penalty of two penalty strokes in stroke play or loss of the hole in match play; the stroke does not count and he must replay the stroke without holding the flagstick – or pulling it out of the hole before the ball hits him.
Lots of fear for a footer, right?
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