Sue’s Rules – When To Backstop or Not?
Once again, our resident rules expert, Sue May, is here with more real-world rules questions. Enjoy!
Question: My ball was on the putting green behind the hole. My partner who was chipping up ask me to leave it there as a backstop. I left my ball there and her ball hit my ball. The opposing Team said we lost the hole because we both got a two stroke penalty. I thought because we were partners it was Ok to do that.
Sue: It is Ok to do that in MATCH PLAY ONLY. However, if the opposing Team asks you to mark your ball you must do so. If you don’t mark it, it’s loss of hole for you and your partner.
Rule 15.3a Ball on putting green helping play. Rule 23.9a (2)1 Four Ball Clarification (examples of when player’s breach helps partner’s play).
WSNGA Team Play is Match Play and here are a couple of questions players have asked me to clarify.
Question: My ball was on the putting green and when I putted it hit another ball at rest on the putting green. I was told I had incurred a two stroke penalty which is loss of hole for me. I talked to you when I finished and you said because it was Match Play there was no penalty. Where in the rule book does it say that?
Sue: There is an exception in Rule 11.1a that says : In STROKE PLAY if the player’s ball in motion hits another ball at rest on the putting green and both balls were on the putting green before the stroke, the player gets the General Penalty. This does not apply to Match Play.
