Last Saturday during comp. (Monthly mendal stroke), my putter was struck by a playing partners ball while I was carrying it across the green to my ball.
He was playing out of a bunker and skulled it, shooting it across the green into my putter?
Tha ball dropped at my feet, close to the hole.
What is the penalty (if any), and to whom?

This is an easy one, given it wasn’t matchplay, and you weren’t holding the flagstick. (Unless you intentionally dived in front of the ball, or he intentionally intended to use you as a backstop.)

Rule 19. Ball in Motion Deflected or Stopped
19-4. By Fellow-Competitor, Caddie or Equipment in Stroke Play
See Rule 19-1 regarding ball deflected by outside agency.
Exception: Ball striking person attending or holding up flagstick or anything carried by him — see Rule 17-3b.

19-1. By Outside Agency
If a player’s ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by any outside agency, it is a rub of the green, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies.

No penalty to either player, ball played as it lies.

Looks like ‘Rub of the green’ went in your playing partners favour this time. lucky bugger LOL

Thanks Muntz,
Very interesting.
We were both sure one of us had incurred a penalty of some sort.
As it was the 17th hole and we were both well and truly out of any contention, we let it ride and decided to do some homework on it.
Most people we talked to at the 19th sugested that it was a penalty to the player playing the ball as it struck a playing partners equipment, however I disagreed.

Thanks for your input.

Thanks Suspect,

He sure had a smile on his face! Not that it affected the outcome in any dramatic fashion.

Now if you were holding his putter for him…?

I got caught by a misunderstanding of Rule 19 last year, I hit out of a bunker and the ball rolled off the green and hit a fellow competitors bag (he made no attempt to move it despite standing next to it.)

He said it was a 2 stroke penalty to me. I had smoke coming out of my ears and wiped the next few holes. Turns out he was wrong.

The penalty itself has been reduced in the latest rules:

“The penalty for the accidental deflection of a ball by a player, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment under Rule 19-2 will be reduced to one penalty stroke in both match play and stroke play. (In 2007, the penalty was loss of hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play.)”

Thanks again Muntz.
I also thought it was still a 2 stroke penalty.
Thanks for the update.

Now if you were holding his putter for him…?

I got caught by a misunderstanding of Rule 19 last year, I hit out of a bunker and the ball rolled off the green and hit a fellow competitors bag (he made no attempt to move it despite standing next to it.)

He said it was a 2 stroke penalty to me. I had smoke coming out of my ears and wiped the next few holes. Turns out he was wrong.

The penalty itself has been reduced in the latest rules:

“The penalty for the accidental deflection of a ball by a player, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment under Rule 19-2 will be reduced to one penalty stroke in both match play and stroke play. (In 2007, the penalty was loss of hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play.)”

Reverse every natural instinct you have and do just the opposite of what you are inclined to do and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing. – BEN HOGAN, POWER GOLF

What’s the difference to the situation you answered at the beginning of the thread. There is no penalty in stroke play when you play a stroke and your ball is deflected etc by a FC’s equipment etc. The stroke penalty is if your ball is deflected etc by your equipment in both SP and MP (19-2) (last year it would have been 2sp in SP and LoH in MP).

What’s the difference to the situation you answered at the beginning of the thread.

That’s my point, I shouldn’t have been penalized a stroke at all. I just concluded by pointing out that the penalty under 19-2 has been reduced since Jan 1.

Now if you were holding his putter for him…?

I got caught by a misunderstanding of Rule 19 last year, I hit out of a bunker and the ball rolled off the green and hit a fellow competitors bag (he made no attempt to move it despite standing next to it.)

He said it was a 2 stroke penalty to me. I had smoke coming out of my ears and wiped the next few holes. Turns out he was wrong.

The penalty itself has been reduced in the latest rules:

“The penalty for the accidental deflection of a ball by a player, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment under Rule 19-2 will be reduced to one penalty stroke in both match play and stroke play. (In 2007, the penalty was loss of hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play.)”

Reverse every natural instinct you have and do just the opposite of what you are inclined to do and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing. – BEN HOGAN, POWER GOLF

The change started to be discussed after Brett Ogle broke his kneecap in 96 (from memory) on the closing holes of the Australian Open. Until then he was in contention. The two stroke penalty put paid to that, not to mention the broken kneecap.

Since then similar occurences have taken part on the world tours and it was decided it just wasn’t fair….

can i play a round with you?

Who hit who ?? Im not 100% we have the correct answer posted

What was the format of the game ? , you say your “playing partner” was it a pairs event ?

my putter was struck by a playing partners ball

There is no such animal in the rules as a playing partner.
Do you mean Fellow Competitor or Partner ?
I assume you mean Fellow Competitor as you were playind a medal (strokeplay).

But be very careful about the words you use because (as in this case) the answer may be very different.

If he really was your partner then you would get a 1 stroke penalty (2 strokes last year).

Sorry guys,
1/ It was individual stroke event (monthly medal),
2/ Because it was an individual event he was not my playing partner so I suppose he was a fellow competitor.
3/ Juniorgolfer …I play with anyone but no guarantees about any “assistance” you may receive from me! :)