 Rich Hodge Simi Valley, CA |
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Decision 1-2/3.5
Player Repairs Hole After Holing Out But Before Opponent, Fellow-Competitor or Partner Holes Out
Q. After holing out, a player observes that the edge of the hole is ragged. He pats the ragged edge with his hand and smoothes it. Does the player incur a penalty under Rule 1-2 if his opponent, fellow-competitor or partner has not holed out? A. If the player smoothed the edge of the hole as a courtesy to following players, which seems likely, there is no penalty under Rule 1-2. However, he incurs a penalty under Rule 1-2 if he smoothed the edge of the hole for the express purpose of influencing the movement of the opponent?s, fellow-competitor?s or partner?s ball. Since the player had holed out, he is not subject to penalty under Rule 16-1a. If a four-ball competition was involved and the player?s partner had not completed the hole, the partner is subject to penalty under Rule 16-1a ? See Definition of ?Partner.?
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