Matthew Wolff accidentally hit his ball with his practice putting stroke during the first round of the WGC - Workday Championship at The Concession, causing it to roll a few feet away from its resting spot. But what is the rule?
Wolff, who was on the sixth green at the time, was practicing his putting stroke when the toe of his putter made contact with his ball and caused it to move a couple of feet.
It wasn't that long ago that this would have constituted a penalty, but it was a rule which was changed a few years ago as part of the wider modernisation of the rules of golf.
Because of this change, which focused on the accidental movement of the ball on the putting green (Rule 13.1d), Wolff was able to replace the ball to its original spot without penalty.
So what does the rule say?
Rule 13.1d
When Ball or Ball-Marker Moves on Putting Green
(1) No Penalty for Accidentally Causing Ball to Move. There is no penalty if the player, opponent or another player in stroke play accidentally moves the player’s ball or ball-marker on the putting green.
The player must:
• Replace the ball on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated) (see Rule 14.2), or
• Place a ball-marker to mark that original spot.
Under the rule, it states that an example of actions that are accidental include when the player takes "normal actions near the ball before attempting a stroke, such as practice swings near the ball or addressing the ball by placing the putter on the ground near the ball."
Why was the rule changed?
Simply put, the rule was changed because it was deemed unfair.
The USGA website states: "When a ball moves while the player is doing nothing more than taking normal actions to prepare for a stroke, it can seem unfair for the player to be penalised."
