Poulter Dropped His Ball on His Marker - Share Odd Infractions of the Rules of Golf

During the summer i chipped onto a downslope and my ball rolled into the bunker behind the hole....that I had already been in for the previous shot and raked :@

I've been told this may not be a penalty anymore, but it used to be and I got nailed for it. I chipped up and had a leaner on the edge of the cup. I walked up holding my wedge in one hand and my putter in the other, and tapped the ball in the hole with the putter. A competitor called a penalty saying a stroke could only be played holding one club, not two... and the committee agreed with him after studying the rules. This was circa late nineteen sixties. I have not looked at the situation under the current rules and any decisions, but I think it may no longer be a penalty. Does anyone know? A decision in the rules states that only one club head may be involved in a stroke, implying one club.

I noticed his caddie had dropped his bag not to far from the ball. It wasn't standing upright at all. If any of those clubs, headcovers or not were to have touched the ground while Ian was getting ready to address his ball or being in the hazard with him, would there have been a violation?

13-4. Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions Except as provided in the Rules, before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard (whether a bunker or a water hazard) or that, having been lifted from a hazard, may be dropped or placed in the hazard, the player must not: a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard; b. Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club; or c. Touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard. Exceptions: 1. Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard or water in a water hazard as a result of or to prevent falling, in removing an obstruction, in measuring or in marking the position of, retrieving, lifting, placing or replacing a ball under any Rule or (b) places his clubs in a hazard. 2. After making the stroke, if the ball is still in the hazard or has been lifted from thehazard and may be dropped or placed in the hazard, the player may smooth sand or soil in the hazard, provided nothing is done to breach Rule 13-2 with respect to his next stroke. If the ball is outside the hazard after the stroke, the player may smooth sand or soil in the hazard without restriction. 3. If the player makes a stroke from a hazard and the ball comes to rest in another hazard, Rule 13-4a does not apply to any subsequent actions taken in the hazard from which the stroke was made. Note: At any time, including at address or in the backward movement for the stroke, the player may touch, with a club or otherwise, any obstruction, any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course or any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing.

I caught the last few holes of regulation when it looked like Poulter was going to win it outright. Something got my attention but I wasn't watching it on a DVR so I couldn't play it back. He was on either 17 or 18 and had hit it in the wood chips to the left of the fairway. It might have been the first playoff at 18. I heard the announcer say he was in a hazard and had to be careful of gounding the club. He had a clear shot out because it didn't land in front of the bushy grass in there. I noticed his caddie had dropped his bag not to far from the ball. It wasn't standing upright at all. If any of those clubs, headcovers or not were to have touched the ground while Ian was getting ready to address his ball or being in the hazard with him, would there have been a violation?