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Rules of the Game
Going Nowhere Fast
By Troy Andrew, PNGA Senior Director of Rules & Competition
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| © Charles Crombie/courtesy USGA Archives |
In a recent U.S. Senior Open Sectional Qualifying at Loomis Trail Golf Club administered by the Pacific Northwest and Washington State golf
associations, a competitor (and his fellow competitors in his pairing) was sure he was going to be penalized for his club accidentally
touching his golf ball in play.
The first rule of thumb for any Rules Official is to gather the facts before making any decision. So, the competitor explained and simulated
to the Rules Official that he had addressed his ball and during his "waggle of the club" in his pre-shot routine, his club touched the
golf ball.
Well, everyone's first thought was that he was penalized because his golf club touched the golf ball. Fortunately, the Rules Official was quick
to ask the competitor if the ball moved. The player answered "yes" and continued to say "the ball moved forward but then rolled back to the
original position."
Second rule of thumb for any Rules Official is to look it up in the Rules of Golf or Decision Book. The Rules Official read the definition of
"Move or Moved": "A ball is deemed to have 'moved' if it leaves its position and comes to rest in any other place."
The competitor and fellow competitors all agreed that although the ball oscillated, it never came to rest in any other place other than its
original position. The Rules Official explained that although the ball moved forward and then back again, the ball never came to rest in any
other place than its original position. NO PENALTY. The Rules Official continued by reading Rule 18-2a to further explain why the player was
not penalized. Also, in the Decision Book, Decision 18/2 on page 221 explains this exact Ruling.
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