Occurred at the 1st AJGT - Penalty Area

It was known or almost certain for the player and his competitors that his ball came to rest in a penalty area.

The player searches for three minutes in the penalty area for his ball, which is not found within the three minutes. The player therefore claims relief from the penalty area in accordance with Law 17.1c and plays the newly placed ball. As it happens, the player then finds his original ball. Not knowing exactly what to do next, the player decides to play the original ball as a second ball. He holes out with both balls.

At the end of the round and before handing in the scorecard, the player contacts the competition management.

The question was also whether the player would incur a penalty for playing the original ball, as this ball was no longer in play.

The following decision was made by the match committee.

The ball played in accordance with Rule 17.1c became the ball in play and the result with this ball is the player's score for the hole. The score with the original ball could not count because the original ball was no longer in play. However, the player does not incur a penalty for playing the original ball as a second ball.

There is also an interpretation of this: Law 20.1c(3)
Disputed cases in counting play
(1) No right to decide disputed cases by agreement. In stroke play, if neither a referee nor the match director is available within a reasonable time to assist with a disputed case,

- players are encouraged to assist each other in the application of the rules, but they are not authorised to decide a disputed rule case by agreement and no agreement they may make is binding on any player, referee or the Committee.
- A player should clarify any disputed rule case with the match management before submitting his scorecard.

(2) Players should protect the other players in the field. To protect the interests of all other players in the field,

- a player who knows or believes that another player has committed or may have committed a breach of the rules and the other player does not recognise or ignores this, should report this breach to the other player, his counter, a referee or the match director.
- This should be done immediately after the player becomes aware of the facts and at the latest before the other player submits his scorecard, unless this is not possible.

If the player fails to do so, the match management may disqualify the player in accordance with Rule 1.2a if it determines that serious misconduct against the "Spirit of the Game" has occurred.

(3) Playing two balls when there is doubt about how to proceed. A player who is in doubt about the correct course of action when playing a hole may finish the hole with two balls without penalty:

- The player must decide to play two balls after the unclear situation is apparent and before taking another shot.
- The player should choose which ball should count, if the rules allow the course of action chosen for that ball, by communicating this choice to his counter or another player before taking a stroke.
- If the player does not make a timely choice, the ball played first is deemed to be the selected ball.
- The player must notify the scorekeeper before submitting his scorecard, even if the player achieves the same result with both balls. The player is disqualified if he fails to do so.
- If the player makes a stroke before deciding to play a second ball,
- this rule does not apply and the result achieved with the ball played before the player decides to play a second ball counts.
- However, the player does not incur a penalty for playing the second ball.

A second ball played under this rule is not a provisional ball under Rule 18.3.

(4) Decision of the match committee on the result for a hole. If a player plays two balls in accordance with (3) above, the scorekeeper decides the player's score on that hole as follows:

- The stroke count with the chosen ball (either chosen by the player or the failure to choose a ball) counts, provided the rules permit the course of action chosen with that ball.
- If the rules do not permit the procedure chosen for that ball, the score played with the other ball counts, provided the rules permit the procedure chosen for that ball.
- If the rules do not permit either of the procedures chosen for both balls, the result with the chosen ball (either chosen by the player or the failure to choose a ball) counts, unless there is a serious offence of playing from the wrong place, in which case the result with the other ball counts.
- If there is a serious offence of playing from the wrong place with either ball, the player is disqualified.
- All strokes with the ball that does not count under the rules decision (including strokes played and penalty strokes incurred only when playing that ball) do not count towards the player's score for the hole.

"The rules permit the chosen course of action" means either: (a) the original ball was played as it lies and it was permissible to play from that position or (b) the ball played was put into play according to the rules using the correct procedures, in the correct manner and in the correct place.


In the meantime, if you would like to know more about the Rules of Golf, please contact me directly at hans.kienesberger@golf.at.