falling on your ball

[hovis]

Playing in a work comp today. 32 golfers stood around the first tee. My playing partner winds up his back swing and durning transition loses his footing, slips and falls face first onto his ball knocking it off the tee. now, after 20 minutes of histerical laughter and piss taking he asks " whats the ruling" as a group ee collectively said " no penalty, you've been punished enough. Carry on"

But what would the ruling be. I know if it was on the fairway its a penalty for coming into contact with the ball but the ball hadnt been released into play yet! Any thoughts

 

[Region3]

I was going to say no penalty, as the ball isn't in play until you've made a swing at it. Did he swing at the ball and miss? If he did I'd say 1 pen for the air shot and 1 pen for moving it with his face.
If he fell over before the club got near the ball I'd say no penalty, but not totally sure.

 

[bobmac]

Playing in a work comp today. 32 golfers stood around the first tee. My playing partner winds up his back swing and durning transition loses his footing, slips and falls face first onto his ball knocking it off the tee. now, after 20 minutes of histerical laughter and piss taking he asks " whats the ruling" as a group ee collectively said " no penalty, you've been punished enough. Carry on"

But what would the ruling be. I know if it was on the fairway its a penalty for coming into contact with the ball but the ball hadnt been released i.to ay yet! Any thoughts

I would say he hasn't put the ball in play yet so no penalty

 

[Val]

No penalty, no different from pulling out of the shot I suppose.

 

[palindromicbob]

As region say it all dependss where during the swing the fall occurred. As this definition of a stroke is forward movement of the club with intention to hit the ball then I'd say that from what you say he had commenced his stroke. He didn't voluntarily check his downswing so by the letter of the rules I'd say one stroke penalty under rule 18-2 (Ball at rest moved by player after address) and then played as it lies.

 

[Colin L]

Considering a player can change his mind about hitting the ball at the very last minute and pass his club over the ball, I think it would only be kind to reckon that at some point in mid-fall, Hovis's partner came to the conclusion that he was no longer in a very good position to play the ball and that he was no longer possessed of the intention to strike it.

As they said, he was punished enough. :rofl:

 

[CMAC]

was he teeing up on an ice rink? can't see how this could happen unless his names Frank

 

[Foxholer]

but the ball hadnt been released into play yet! Any thoughts

No penalty in this case, but there is no such concept as 'released into play'. I believe you are talking about 'made a stroke'.

A "stroke" is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.

An air shot on the tee counts as a stroke (no penalty) even though the ball hasn't been hit.

 

[cookelad]

I'm going to need to see a video..... to be absolutely sure of the ruling of course!

 

[Colin L]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pZrlIi7djU

Now that was certainly a forward movement of the club with the intention of striking the ball. But at least Poulter stayed drier than Woody Austin managed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbn9095yG1U&feature=endscreen

Can't find anything to match the OP's description. Even all the forum smilies stay on their feet :swing: