February Rule Of The Month
Rule 26-1 RELIEF FOR BALL IN WATER HAZARD
It is a question of fact whether a ball that has not been found after having been struck toward a water hazard is in the hazard. In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the hazard. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1.
If a ball is in a water hazard or if it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in a water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), the player may under penalty of one stroke:
- Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5 MAKING NEXT STROKE FROM WHERE PREVIOUS STROKE MADE); or
- Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped; or
- As additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, drop a ball outside the water hazard within 2 club lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole.
When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.
Extract from Decisions on the Rules of Golf – RULE 26-1/4
Ball Played under Water Hazard Rule Without Knowledge or Virtual Certainty That Original Ball in Hazard; Original Ball Then Found in Hazard
QUESTION: A player’s ball carried over a water hazard into some trees. It could not be determined whether the ball bounced back into the hazard or came to rest in the trees. Therefore, it was neither known nor virtually certain that the ball was in the hazard.
The player did not search for his original ball. He assumed that it was in the hazard, dropped a ball behind the hazard at a spot that conformed to Rule 26-1b and played that ball onto the green. As he was walking to the green, he found his original ball in the hazard. What is the ruling?
ANSWER: The first paragraph of Rule 26-1 states in part: “In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the hazard. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1”.
Therefore the player was not entitled to assume that his original ball was in the hazard and the fact that it was subsequently found in the hazard is irrelevant.
When the player dropped and played another ball behind the hazard, it became the ball in play and the original ball was lost. The player was required to proceed under Rule 27-1. In playing the ball dropped under Rule 26-1b, he played from a wrong place.
In match play, he incurred a penalty of loss of hole (Rule 20-7b).
In stroke play, he incurred the stroke and distance penalty prescribed by Rule 27-1 and an additional penalty of 2 strokes for a breach of that Rule (Rule 20-7c). If the breach was a serious one, he was subject to disqualification unless he corrected the error as provided in Rule 20-7c (Revised)
