On The Green

[Abu3baid]

I don't think he has to move the mark but I believe you could have told him to go ahead and putt his ball. I didn't see anything in the decision book regarding the OP's situation but this could be a breach of etiquette and should be brought to the committees attention.

I don't think he could tell him to putt as he is further away! Player B could just say no, you're up!

[Missouri Swede]

I wouldn't have thought this would be allowed, but it would be one response when he refuses to move the marker:

20-1/6.5

Ball-Marker Pressed Down by Opponent

Q.In a match, the player's ball-marker on the putting green is pressed down by the opponent. Is the opponent in breach of the Rules?

A.No. Rule 18-3b does not apply to ball-markers. However, if the ball-marker were moved such that it no longer accurately marked the position of the ball, in equity (Rule 1-4 ), the opponent would incur a penalty of one stroke. If the opponent pressed down the ball-marker with the authority of the player and that act caused it to move, there would be no penalty to either player (see Decision 20-1/6 ).

[vangator]

In match play, your opponent has control of your ball on the green. If he wants it marked, the marker moved, he has to do it under penalty of loss of hole. In match play you can give a putt at any time. For instance, if an opponent's partner is away, but out of the hole (maybe playing best ball), you can give the putt so his partner would not get a read on a ball still in the match. I could see the marker being ruled a moveable obstruction and if your opponent didn't move it, you could. It would be your opponent's responsibility to make sure the ball gets replaced properly or he would incur a two stroke penalty, so it's in his best interest that he mark his own ball. If I had to move the mark, you would bet I'd be looking to make sure it got replaced on the exact blade of grass upon which it was previously resting. :-) As noted, the etiquette rule could be invoked with disqualification possibly resulting. So much for a gentlemen's game.

[David in FL]

[@]Fourputt, [/@] [@]Dormie1360[/@] can you give some insight here?

[Dormie1360]

On the road with just an iPhone and without my decisions book. Oh the horror. Anyway I've read discussions on this before and I believe the consensus was the marker was analogous to the ball. There r some decisions that confirm this relationship between the ball and marker.