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I attended a tournament where the player moved his mark from behind the ball to about two inches to the side of the ball before putting. Only after hitting the ball does he pick up a marker. Is that legal? Does it matter if he uses it as some kind of guidance instead of just being lazy? – Jerry Cunningham, via email
Damn you, this is important!
By removing the marker, the player is following the instructions of Rule 14.1 and ensuring that the ball marker remains in place when the ball is struck.
But why set it aside in a consistent way? If he used it as some kind of swing aid that had nothing to do with alignment, that would be a problem under Rule 4.3; he would be subject to a general penalty the first time he hit a ball in this manner and would be disqualified the second time.
If he places the mark there to aid alignment, aiming or taking a stance, he will be in violation of Rule 10.2b(3) and will be subject to the usual penalty each time. If he’s just lazy, then he’s just lazy.
For more markup guidance from our masters, read on…
I was about five feet from the green on my approach shot and the grass was short enough that I decided to putt. The problem: My partner also came up short, three feet from my ball and directly on the line of my putt. I asked him to mark his ball. He refused, saying you couldn’t mark your ball anywhere but the green. I asked him to play first. He refused again, claiming the rules dictated hitting the farther ball first, while also admitting he didn’t want to read it to me. I ended up chipping away at his balls. But is he marked correctly? – Anonymous, via email
Please let me introduce you and your rather ruthless partner (maybe a lawyer?) to Rule 15.3b, which states that if the ball interferes with someone’s play, you have the right to lift it from anywhere on the field.
Once you make this request, the other player is obligated to lift the ball; in stroke play, he or she may choose to hit the ball first instead of lifting. However, he or she may not defend the fifth point.
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