What do the foundations 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 e-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 is just not embedded, and thus free aid for an embedded ball isn’t allowed.
That mentioned, ought to the ball stay inside the teeing space — on the off probability you teed up greater than eight inches behind the markers so your ball is within the floor nonetheless behind the markers — you’ll be able to carry the ball and tee it up once more anyplace contained in the teeing space with out penalty, hitting 2, beneath Rule 6.2b.
For extra steerage from our guru, learn on …
Guidelines Man: Can you are taking embedded-ball aid from the financial institution of an unmarked lake?
We’ve got the world’s most unfair bunker fronting our seventeenth inexperienced. It’s seven toes 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 — if 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” certainly 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.
It’s essential merely drop the ball beneath 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) price 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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