Dropping Ball on the Putting Green

Normally, Referees are kept busy dealing with relief procedures-free or penalty. Seasoned players always call for a referee when one is readily available. If relief is taken with the consent of the Referee, the player is safe is from any subsequent consequences. Rule 34-2 gives fairly wide authority to the Referee.

Free relief under R 24-2 and R 25-1 details the relief procedure. The principle in this case is to determine the nearest point of relief which is related to the interference. Hence, a ball lying through the Green or on the teeing Ground, the nearest point should exclude hazards and the putting green. If a ball is in a bunker, the nearest point has to be in the bunker. No free relief is available under R 24-2 and R 25-1 for a ball in the water hazard/Lateral water hazard. If the ball is on the putting Green, the nearest point may be on or outside the Putting Green, not in a hazard and the ball must be placed. On the Putting Green, additionally, relief is also available for line of putt for R 24-2 and R 25-1

As far as Penalty drops are considered in R 26 and R 28, there is no concept of nearest point of relief. The flag line option for penalty relief under R 26 and R 28 and the two club length option under lateral water hazard relief in R 26 and R 28, gives a rare opportunity to a player to drop a ball on the Putting Green.

As a referee, I was itching to witness such a scene. At Prestige Golf shire, Hole 8 is ideally situated for such an event. The Putting Green borders a wide and long Water Hazard, marked lateral on the Greenside. It is a short par 4, if one carries the water. If one lays up, a wayward second shot will put the ball in the water. In the PGTI event concluded last month, one player landed in the water – his second shot. Part of the two club length relief was on the Putting Green. I was expecting him to drop on the Green, but he dropped just outside the green on the Apron and the ball rolled onto the Green .This provided an interesting ruling. Under R 20-2c (iii), if a dropped ball rolls onto the green, it has to be redropped. He redropped and again, it rolled onto the Green and then he placed the ball on the redropped spot. If he has first dropped the ball on the Putting Green and the ball has stayed on the green/ outside the green within two club lengths of the dropped spot, the ball would be in play.

However, in the Ladies WGAI event concluded yesterday at Prestige my dreams came true. On the same 8^th hole, one of the ladies encountered a similar situation. As she is also a qualified referee, she promptly dropped the ball on the green and the ball stayed on the green within two club lengths from the dropped spot. She proceeded to putt from there.