Jean and Rhonda and Michelle are enjoying another sunny summer day as they play in their club’s weekly stroke play tournament. As regular playing partners they all like to joke around a bit but when it comes to the rules Jean is a bit of a stickler (although she sometimes seems to make up rules, according to her friends).
All three are playing well on this day and Rhonda looks as if she might score her personal best; she just needs to hole her seven-foot par putt on the 18th green. Jean and Michelle watch intensely as their friend lines up the putt and makes a smooth stroke. The ball appears to be heading to the dead centre of the hole and the ladies are about to celebrate when the balls stops abruptly. It actually appears as if it is overhang the lip and about to drop but it doesn’t. Michelle encourages Rhonda to jump ball the hole to help the ball fall in. She points out that if it falls it is as if the putt was made because she hasn’t made a stroke. The ball does not fall in and as they walk to the clubhouse Jean tells Rhonda that as her scorer she refuses to sign her card unless she takes a one stroke penalty for trying to influence the ball into the hole. Rhonda says she won’t because she didn’t violate any rule. Who is right?
When they speak with their club professional, Janice (who is a certified Rules Official), to Jean’ surprise they find out that Rhonda is actually correct.
As Janice correctly tells them, there is no penalty. Rule 1-2 does not apply to a situation where the player takes an action that does not result in the position of the ball at rest. If the ball had moved, they would have had to proceed under Rule 1-2/4 (Player Jumps Close To Hole to Cause Ball to Drop). Since the ball was at rest when Rhonda jumped she would incurred a penalty of one stroke in both match and stroke play under Rule 18-2a (Ball at Rest Moved by Player, Partner, Caddie, or Equipment) and would have been required to replace the ball.
In the end, it all worked out. Rhonda may not have had her best score ever, but the ladies learned a little more about the rules – lessons they can apply when they play in next week’s tournament.