chasgunn

Thanks for all the postings and I am now clear that the key point is that as long as it is deemed the marker was placed in the correct position there is no penalty as the player will then replace the ball in the correct position. Thank you. It had been bugging me that I had heard of a similar situation some years ago resulting in a disqualification. The incident in question was Padraig Harrington being disqualified in Abu Dhabi in 2011 - BUT the difference was he brushed the ball as he lifted his marker and therefore should have replaced the ball before putting out. As earlier contributors pointed out the two situations are therefore subtly different. See the following link http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/9369046.stm An extract is: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship January 2011 – Harrington's hand brushed the back of his ball on hole seven as he replaced it in front of his marker. The ball rocked forward and television slow-motion replays showed that it did not return to its original position. Tour senior referee Andy McFee, said "……… It's a minute movement, but it's a movement and he never replaced it, so he should have included a two-stroke penalty. "The fact that he is unaware he moved the ball unfortunately does not help him. Because he signed for a score lower than actually taken the penalty is disqualification." Hopefully if I now come across either instance I understand how the rules apply - thanks again.

I fully agree with this, in the circumstances the player recognised that he moved the ball and then made a conscious effort, however negligible, to replace it marginally closer to the marker than the position it had moved to - as you say to fulfill the requirement that the ball was replaced in the correct place. I think if he had been conscious he had moved the ball he would have called a rules official and would have replaced the ball under supervision. I know it is a tiny amount and I know it made no difference to him holing the next putt but by the rules as I read them, unless he consciously made an effort to replace the ball back in it's original position before it had moved, he inadvertently broke the rule - as you say almost indistinguishably. I am really sorry to go on about this but my guess is Lucas Glover (who had just missed two very short putts on 17 and 18) was in a head scramble and didn't even realise he had done this - I would love to know if the USPGA have looked at the incident, as it is now being discussed on a number of golf forums, whether they have spoken to Glover and in fact ruled as you suggest that as it was such a tiny movement there was no conscious breaking of the rule.

Sorry to be pedantic here but I don't believe the actual circumstances are addressed here - I agree the Rule is absolutely clear, yes and agree he moved the ball in the act of marking the ball. BUT - did he subsequently follow the rule? After accidentally moving the ball, in accordance with the rule, he should have replaced the ball in the correct position (and re-marked it) or moved the marker back to the correct position. Surely you cannot argue the marker was in the correct position if having lowered his hand vertically he had to nudge the ball slightly to get the marker in the ground. I know we are talking millimetres but the ball did clearly move. It would be very interesting to know if he said to his partners "I nudged the ball but I'm sure I marked it correctly" - or if the USPGA had this conversation with him in the scorer's hut. Really would be useful to have this clarification as this is going round on a number of golf forums.