Does it count if practice putt/swing hits ball by accident?
From "What did you shoot today?" thread:
" hole #4 im having a little practice swing for a 3 foot putt and on the backswing a fly caught my eye i took a peek as it went past ....then looked back down to see the putterhead clip my toe - bounce off and hit the ball sideways"
I couldn't help stop laughing...and I was at work...
So I thought this doesn't count as a stroke. I thought the rules book states you have to address the ball (intent of stroking the ball).
Here is the rule becuase this has happened to me before in tournaments and this is it for shure: If you accidently hit the ball you have to add a stroke and replace your ball to the original spot.
Allen (who speaks from experience!) is correct. I think Davis Love III once hit his ball with a practice putt, then did not replace the ball to its original spot, but instead played it from the spot it rolled to. Whoops... 2-shot penalty for playing from a wrong spot.
Of course, if the ball is not yet in play, no penalty. So don't worry if the ball's on the tee and you knock it off while doing your waggle.
I never understood what prevented Davis from simply saying "that was my stroke, so I played from where it came to rest."
Lots of tour players never technically sole the club on shots from the rough or on sloped lies, and that way if their ball moves there's no penalty as they technically haven't "addressed" the ball. Mmm hmmm.
I never understood what prevented Davis from simply saying "that was my stroke, so I played from where it came to rest."
Lots of tour players never technically sole the club on shots from the rough or on sloped lies, and that way if their ball moves there's no penalty as they technically haven't "addressed" the ball. Mmm hmmm.
Davis never soled his putter behind the ball. He accidently hit the ball sideways with the toe of his putter during a practice stroke. He knew that it wasn't intended to be a stroke and his integrity prevented him from claiming otherwise. His biggest mistake was not knowing the rules well enough to properly correct the situation without causing himself additional penalty strokes and possible disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard.
It has long been rumored that Gary Player was infamous for selecting his 4 wood for a shot from the thick rough, grounding the club behind the ball,(which pushed down the grass directly behind the ball) then changing his mind and playing an iron.
Oh gosh. I've had that happen. I forgot about it, otherwise I would have put it in the embarrassing moments thread. A round with the boss, a little waggle, got set in,....
and the ball falls off. I could feel his impatience. Never took that long to hit again. Least that isn't a penalty.
November 2nd, 2004, 07:58 PM
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