Rules: Match Play – Putt out of Order

In Match Play, Player A’s ball is on Player B’s line of putt.  Player B requests Player A to lift his ball under Rule 22-2. Instead of complying with the request, Player A putts out of turn.

Does Player A lose the hole for a breach of Rule 22-2 or does Rule 10-1c apply, in which case there would be no penalty but Player B would have the right to require Player A to replay the stroke in correct order?

[toggle title_open=”Hide Answer” title_closed=”Show Answer” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default”]

If Player A wants to be unsportmanlike and putt out of turn, he can do so without penalty.  However, in Match Play, Player B can ask Player A to mark and replay the putt.

Rule 22-2 – Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that the ball of another player might interfere with his play, he may have it lifted.  Except on the putting green, a player may not lift his ball solely because he considers that it might interfere with the play of another player. If a player lifts his ball without being asked to do so, he loses the hole in Match Play (two stroke penalty in stroke play).

Rule 10-1c – Playing Out of Turn – If a player plays when his opponent should have played, there is no penalty, but the opponent may immediately require the player to cancel the stroke so made and, in correct order, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played.

[/toggle]