Facts

In Four-ball Match Play competition on the 4th hole at BMCC, Player DS pushes his drive right (a common bail-out on this hole as Richland Creek borders the fairway on the left and fronts the green). His ball nestles between the partially-submerged, spread-out roots of a massive oak tree. A first glance reveals he may have a punch-out swing to advance the ball for a closer shot into the green, rather than having to take a R28 drop under penalty from an unplayable lie.

Player TD, who is DS’s partner arrives first at the scene, and upon inspecting the lie, quickly begins probing the ground behind the ball with a tee. (Whether TD’s motivation for this abrupt action is DS’s hand and wrist safety, or whether it is simply to determine the existence of interference in the swing path (more likely), is unknown). He finishes his probe without moving the ball or greatly disturbing the lie, and then announces he didn’t find a submerged root.

DS’s caddie N observes this process and then, in his own attempt to be helpful, lifts the ball and inspects the lie directly below the ball just to confirm the verdict announced by TD. “It’s not on a root,” he says. This latter action is too much even for the mild-mannered Player TH who, having watched all of this, advises his partner, Foremost, of this sequence of events (F had been preoccupied with his own problems in the drop zone). DS, arriving last to the scene, listens to TH’s recital of the facts to F and adds pleadingly, “But he put it right back down.”

As all players are now congregated at the tree and DS is preparing to finally play, F advises DS that he is internally processing possible infractions and penalties, but he can assure him, he no longer lies one. (F is considering that the TD probe might have violated R13 requiring that the ball be played as it lies, or perhaps R1-2, which prohibits taking actions to alter the course (unless under exception 2, caring for the course)).

Issue #1

Did TD commit a violation by probing behind his partner DS’s ball with a tee? If so, does TD incur the penalty or does DS?

Issue #2

DS clearly incurred a one stroke penalty when his ball was moved and replaced by his Caddie N. If there was a further infraction by TD under R13 or R1, the penalty is LOH in match play, but which player would lose the hole?

Ruling

F was sniffing up the wrong tree.

The one-stroke penalty assessment against DS for the action of his caddie in lifting the ball was correct. R18-2.

It is not, however, a violation to probe behind a ball with a tee. Providing the lie, stance, or swing plane is not improved (R13-2), or the ball moved (R18-2), such probing is permissible. Dec.13-2/27. Had TD disturbed DS’s lie, DS would have been allowed to restore his original lie in equity. Dec 13-2/29.5. No further penalty or LOH was warranted.

Oh, well…

As usual, all comments or corrections are welcome!

Respectfully submitted,
F