Picking up your ball after marking - or not

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I am close to the hole and choose to mark by ball - but I delay picking up my ball. Meanwhile fellow competitor putts before I have picked up ball. My understanding is that once my FC putted I CANNOT pick up my ball whilst FC ball is moving. If his ball hits my ball the penalty is against him (2 shot?) - I replace my ball at the marker. He plays his from where it finished. Have I got this correct so far so for?

What if I pick up my ball up AFTER FC has putted. Do I incur a penalty? Or does he? And does it make any difference if my FC had asked me to mark my ball even if I'd not been going to choose so to do?

 

[Ethan]

I think if you are in the process of marking and picking up, you can continue, but what you can't do is leave a ball then see your opponents ball head for it, dash over and pick it up.

In the former, you were exercising your right to pick it up, and your FC can't remove that right, but the latter is intended only to help your FC which you can't do.

 

[Colin L]

Yes to the first para - your ball is still in play even though it is marked. You may not lift it when another ball is in motion if it could influence the movement of the ball which was obviously the case in this instance. Your FC incurs a 2 stroke penalty.

If you picked it up, you would incur a 2 stroke penalty (Rule 16-1b). No penalty to the other player unless he asked you to lift it after making his stroke.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yes to the first para - your ball is still in play even though it is marked. You may not lift it when another ball is in motion if it could influence the movement of the ball which was obviously the case in this instance. Your FC incurs a 2 stroke penalty.

If you picked it up, you would incur a 2 stroke penalty (Rule 16-1b). No penalty to the other player unless he asked you to lift it after making his stroke.

Thanks Colin - situation happened recently to me and I left my ball where it was - my FC queried why I had left it and I explained - he didn't hit my ball btw

And I was thinking that the 2 shot pen would be against me if I DID pick it up in this scenario but wasn't sure - wouldn't seem fair to my FC if it had been on him. What if in a 4BBB match i pick up in this scenario after my PP has putted. Loss of hole? Or do I get the two shot penalty as before and we continue with me having now 'played' two more than before I picked up.

 

[Colin L]

Remember that there has to be a chance that by lifting your ball you could influence the movement of the ball in motion. If you are well away from the other player's line of putt and no chance of affecting it, you can lift your ball. Also I took it from your description that you had marked and left the ball where it was rather than still being in the process of of marking and lifting as Ethan was referring to.

I don't see it making any difference if your FC had asked to mark your ball, It's his responsibility to be aware of other balls on the green when he putts.

In match play, if you lifted your ball after your partner had putted and it could have influenced his ball you would be penalised for doing so but so would your partner because he gained an advantage from your action. Loss of hole, yes.

In a different scenario, there would be no penalty to an opponent if he was putting and you didn't lift your ball and he hit it. No penalty to him either if you lifted your ball, but you still breached 16-1b and would be disqualified from the hole. Your partner would not be. An interesting difference in match play is that your opponent might have seen an advantage in having your ball where it was - e.g. as a backstop.

Done in a rush so hope I've got that right.