Geoff
Hope this is clear...a friend went to the Canadian Tour’s Northern California Classic at Brookside Golf and Country Club in Stockton last weekend. He said that on one particular hole, the green had quite a slope. One of the players had hit a shot to the back of the green, above the hole, about 15-20 feet. When he got to the green, he marked his ball and picked up. Then, when it was his turn to putt, he put his ball down in front of his marker, but his ball would not stay put because of the slope and would roll toward the hole. He called an official over to make a ruling. My friend said he's not absolutely sure, but thought the player was allowed to set the ball down in front of his marker 3 times because it kept rolling each time because of the slope! My friend thinks the player was allowed to set the ball down 3 times and on the 3rd try the ball rolled to within two feet or so of the hole and that is where he got to mark his ball and proceeded to birdie the hole. I told my friend that it just didn't make sense to give the player 3 try's to position his ball, but that I'm not sure about the ruling.
I do recall watching one of the televised PGA Tour tournaments, a year or so ago, when a Tour professional hit above the pin to a 3-par sloped green and his ball created a divot that stopped his ball from rolling back toward the pin. The player then marked his ball, repaired the divot made by his shot, replaced his marker...then placed his ball in front of his marker and it rolled down to within 3 feet or so and he birdied the hole.
The 2 situations above are slightly different, but I would appreciate your take on the ruling? Maybe my friend misunderstood, maybe not.

Larry Stanley
www.theputtingedge.com

Dear larry,

The description does not sound correct to me. The Rule that applies is Rule 20-3d:

d. Ball Fails to Come to Rest on Spot
If a ball when placed fails to come to rest on the spot on which it was placed, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced. If it still fails to come to rest on that spot:
(i) except in a hazard, it must be placed at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole and not in a hazard;
(ii) in a hazard, it must be placed in the hazard at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole.
If a ball when placed comes to rest on the spot on which it is placed, and it subsequently moves, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other Rule apply.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 20-1, -2 or -3:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.

The key fact is whether the replaced ball ever came to rest on the spot. The first part of the Rule applies when the ball fails to come to rest on the spot. In that case, the ball is to be replaced on the same spot. If it still fails to come to rest, then another spot nearby is chosen where the ball will come to rest when replaced. This is the nearest spot not nearer the hole where the ball will hold still.

In the case where the ball is replaced and comes to rest, and thereafter moves, the ball is not replaced but is played where it lies.

Under Rule 18-1, when a ball is moved by an "outside agency," the ball is to be replaced. An “outside agency’’ is any agency not part of the match or, in stroke play, not part of the competitor’s side, and includes a referee, a marker, an observer and a forecaddie. Neither wind nor water is an outside agency. A ball that is replaced on steep slope and comes to rest on the replaced spot, but thereafter moves, is presumably NOT moved by an outside agency. That's the sense of the second part of Rule 20-3d.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone
http://puttingzone.com
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