What do the principles say about embedded balls off a tee shot?
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Teeing off, I drove my ball fully underground, eight inches ahead. I mentioned the ball was embedded, entitling aid. My opponent mentioned it was unplayable, necessitating a one-stroke penalty. Guidelines Man says… —Aaron Lowe, through electronic mail
…to contemplate a driver with extra loft.
Rule 16.3a(2) says {that a} ball pushed straight into the bottom with out turning into airborne shouldn’t be embedded, and thus free aid for an embedded ball isn’t allowed.
That mentioned, ought to the ball stay throughout the teeing space — on the off likelihood you teed up greater than eight inches behind the markers so your ball is within the floor nonetheless behind the markers — you possibly can carry the ball and tee it up once more wherever contained in the teeing space with out penalty, hitting 2, below Rule 6.2b.
For extra steering from our guru, learn on …
We’ve the world’s most unfair bunker fronting our seventeenth inexperienced. It’s seven ft deep, however that’s the simple half. Formed like a funnel, there’s solely .001 inches of sand sitting on the base. After I discover myself on this abyss, can I carry my ball as unplayable, rake sand into the bottom from the partitions after which drop my ball for play, one penalty stroke poorer? Thanks for listening. — Invoice Herrick, East Moriches, N.Y.
Guidelines Man all the time tries to be a sympathetic ear, and we had been with you for a second there — once you wished to deal with the ball as unplayable and take penalty aid. That’s kosher.
However just like the sand in your merciless bunker — “world’s most unfair” absolutely is stretching issues a bit — your request eroded when you contemplated raking the sand the place you intend to drop the ball, which, by bettering your aid space, is verboten.
You should merely drop the ball below one of many 4 choices in Rule 19.3, three of which (stroke and distance, again on the road contained in the bunker, lateral aid contained in the bunker) value one penalty stroke and the opposite (again on the road of aid exterior the bunker) two penalty strokes.
Different choices: Attempt a sand wedge with much less bounce or discover a new residence course.
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