You’re watching on as a playing partner in a stroke play event stands over a snaking 30-footer. You’re feeling highly fed up having just three-putted for the sixth time during the round.
Standing near the hole you become increasingly irritated as your partner’s putt gets ever closer to the cup. It’s clearly going in. Without thinking and, in a fit of pique, you stick out your foot and prevent the ball going in.
What were you doing? Are you five? Your playing partner looks on in disbelief… Could that really have happened?
Well, it has happened and aside from feelings of anger, frustration, shame and embarrassment being displayed by both parties, there’s uncertainty on how to proceed.
Are you, the guilty party, disqualified from the tournament? If not, what penalty do you face? And what about the player whose ball has been deflected? What do they do next? What do The Rules say?
Well, let’s start with the villain. What is to be done about you?
It’s good news at this point – you’re not going to be disqualified just yet. But that could come later and we’ll come on to that.
Rule 11.2b says that a player gets the general penalty if they deliberately deflect or stop any ball in motion whether it’s their own ball, an opponent’s ball or another player’s ball in a stroke play event such as this.
The general penalty in stroke play is two strokes, so you would be adding a couple to your score for that hole.
But – what you’ve done is seriously uncool and it’s highly likely your playing partner will report it to the committee. The committee might decide your actions constitute “serious misconduct.”
If that is the case, they can disqualify you under Rule 1.2a covering, "conduct expected of all players."
Serious misconduct is player behaviour that is so far removed from what is expected in golf that the most severe sanction of removing the player from the competition is justified.
Deliberately preventing another player’s ball going in the hole is behaviour that is a long way removed from what is expected in golf, but just how far would be for the committee to decide.
And what happens to your unfortunate playing partner who might well have holed a super putt had you not behaved so atrociously?
Well, you might think the Rules would give them the benefit of the doubt and say the putt should count… No. It’s a double whammy for the stricken party.
Rule 11.2c(2) says that a stroke played from the putting green that has been deliberately stopped or deflected must be played again from the original spot.
If your playing partner was angry with you before, they’re now apoplectic. They’ve no chance of recreating that amazing putt.
So, the answer to the question, “If I stopped someone’s hole-bound putt with my foot, am I disqualified?” - Not immediately. You face the general penalty to start with but if the committee decides your actions to be serious misconduct, you might well be disqualified a little later in the day.
Either way – you’re a disgrace!
