Ball holed in error

[berniethebolt]

I hit a longish pitch to the green which was obviously close to the pin. Playing partner, John, did the same. When I got to the green I was delighted to see my ball 6 inches from the hole so I walked up and tapped it in for a four. Hang on said Alan, another player, your ball finished short of the hole and John's ball hit it and knocked it near the hole. I placed my ball where Alan said it was before being hit and, fortunately, sank it for a four again. The question then arose as to whether I should suffer a penalty for the original tap in - playing from the wrong place. It was agreed that this would be unjust as when I hit it I did not know it was in the wrong place and we only had Alan's word for it - John did not see what happened. Was this correct?

 

[Steven Rules]

The original tap in counts with no penalty. The ball is holed.

9.6/3
Player Learns That Ball Moved After Stroke Made
If it is not known or virtually certain that the player's ball has been moved by an outside influence, the player must play the ball as it lies. If information that the ball was in fact moved by an outside influence only becomes known to the player after the ball has been played, the player did not play from a wrong place because this knowledge did not exist when the player made the stroke.

 

[rulefan]

I was in the middle of typing 9.6/3 when the above appeared.

 

[berniethebolt]

Thanks.