Golf: Did You Know? Ground game
Published 10:41 pm, Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Rule courtesy of Gene Riley, member of San Antonio Rules of Golf Group and USGA Regional Affairs Committee:
A player replaces her ball on the putting green, and without taking a stance grounds her putter behind it. She steps away from the ball, and while standing a few feet behind to re-evaluate her line of putt, it moves. What is the ruling?
Because the ball moved after having been addressed, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke and the ball must be replaced. By definition, a player has “addressed the ball” when she has grounded her club immediately in front of or behind the ball, whether or not she has taken a stance.