Do you know the rules? Rachel’s ball finds a fairway bunker and as she enters the bunker to play her next shot she loses her footing and slips. To prevent her from falling, Rachel steadies herself using her sand wedge but in doing so she touches the sand in the bunker with her club. Although some sand in the bunker is moved, nothing is done which would improve the lie, stance or area of her intended swing. What is the ruling?
A. Rachel is penalised one stroke.
B. Rachel is penalised two strokes.
C. There is no penalty. Find out what the answer is in next week’s newsletter. Did you get the answer to last week’s rule?
Diane plays her second shot which goes towards bushes on the right-hand side of the 17th fairway. She goes forward and searches for her ball briefly before going back to play another ball under penalty of stroke and distance. She drops another ball and is about to play it when Murray shouts to say that he has found her original ball. What is the ruling?
A. Diane must play the dropped ball under penalty of stroke and distance.
B. Diane must continue play with her original ball.
C. Diane has the option to either continue with her original ball without penalty or play the dropped ball under penalty of one stroke. Correct answer:
Answer :A
When Diane put the substituted ball into play at the spot of the previous stroke with the intent to play a ball under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1), the original ball was lost (see Definition of “Lost Ball”). Therefore, Rule 20-6 does not apply, and she must continue with the substituted ball.
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