Putting stance rule

[coachdaniel]

I was playing a Golfweek Tour event last weekend, can not seem to find a ruling on this. My opponent (twice) in the round, missed a putt that ended up a few inches past the hole. He walked up and "pulled" the ball into the hole. The hole was between the ball and his stance. I thought there was a 2 stroke penalty for this but I can not seem to find a ruling for it..

[cnosil]

29 minutes ago, coachdaniel said:

I was playing a Golfweek Tour event last weekend, can not seem to find a ruling on this. My opponent (twice) in the round, missed a putt that ended up a few inches past the hole. He walked up and "pulled" the ball into the hole. The hole was between the ball and his stance. I thought there was a 2 stroke penalty for this but I can not seem to find a ruling for it..

The applicable rule would be 10.1

• The player must fairly strike at the ball with the head of the club such that there is only momentary contact between the club and the ball and must not push, scrape or scoop the ball.

You seem to be referring to scraping the ball as the motion the player performed.   This is defined in the interpretations

10.1a/1 – Examples of Pushing, Scraping or Scooping

These terms have overlapping meanings but can be defined through these three examples of using the club in a manner not allowed by the Rule:

• A player holes a short putt by striking the ball with the bottom of the clubhead, using a motion similar to that used in making a shot in billiards or shuffleboard. Moving the ball like this is a push.
• A player moves the club along the surface of the ground pulling it towards him or her. Moving the ball like this is a scrape.
• A player slides a club beneath and very close to the ball. The player then lifts and moves the ball by use of a forward and upward motion. Moving the ball like this is a scoop.

 

The question about the pull was did he drag the ball into the hole with the club  on the ground or id he hit (with momentary contact)  it into the hole.  If it is the later no penalty.  

[coachdaniel]

I would interpret one of the strokes as a "tap" but the other as a "pull"... he was standing on one side of the hole, and he "pulled" the ball back into the hole

The hole was between the ball and his feet.  There was no scoop, or push,,, it was a pull.

There is no rule about stance being on the "wrong" side of the hole?

 

 

[coachdaniel]

Feet    -------  0 (hole) -------Ball

He "pulled" (one was a tap) the ball toward his feet into the hole.

There was no push, or scrape, or scoop...

Edited April 29, 2022 by coachdaniel
adding detail

[coachdaniel]

Ok,  thanks for the help!

[coachdaniel]

YES! That is exactly what I was looking for... so the line of the putt ends at the hole... THANKS

[cnosil]

30 minutes ago, coachdaniel said:

Feet    -------  0 (hole) -------Ball

He "pulled" (one was a tap) the ball toward his feet into the hole.

There was no push, or scrape, or scoop...

The stance isn't illegal.   Pulling is also scraping toward you; so if the ball had more than momentary contact it would be an illegal stroke.  

[DaveP043]

Let's clarify.  The Definition of Line of Play says:

The line where the player intends his or her ball to go after a stroke, including the area on that line that is a reasonable distance up above the ground and on either side of that line.

For a short putt, that means a line from the ball to the hole, the player intends to make the putt.  Rule 10.1c says:

The player must not make a stroke from a stance with a foot deliberately placed on each side of, or with either foot deliberately touching, the line of play or an extension of that line behind the ball.

So for that purpose, the line we're concerned about starts at the hole, and extends to the ball and beyond, but not on the other side of the hole. If the player is on the "far side" of the hole, he cannot violate that portion of 10.1.

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by DaveP043

[cnosil]

16 hours ago, coachdaniel said:

Ok,  thanks for the help!

Just to add a little more,  I just watched Tony Finau do exactly what you described in this weeks tour event.