OK, let’s get the explanation for this image (above) out of the way. No, Gary Woodland is not seen here hitting a shot from the wrong green. This was his infamous chip on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach during the final round of the 2019 U.S. Open—a tournament he won, if you recall. We just needed a photo of someone playing a shot from a green to set the mood.
Now, on to the rules question at hand: What do you do when you hit the ball on to the wrong green? It doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen. Some greens are close enough to other holes that an errant shot might stop on them. Congrats. You just hit a green in regulation! Sorta.
It even happens on the PGA Tour. Seung-Yul Noh did it at the 2014 Barclays and wasn’t sure how to proceed. What did he do? He played a full shot from the putting surface (below).
The question is, is that legal? The answer: Em, no. Even in 2014, before the Rules of Golf went through its major revisions in 2019, that was a two-shot penalty (we’ll explain what he should have done in a moment). If you want to know what rule is in play here, it’s Rule 13.1f. Relief must be taken when your ball lies on the wrong green.
We’re going to include a graphic (below) courtesy of the USGA and R&A for how to proceed, but just know you are required to pick the ball up and drop it just off the green before hitting your next shot. This free relief also applies if only the smallest portion of the ball touches the wrong green or if your stance or intended swing is physically interfered with by the putting surface.
Like most relief situations, you have to identify the nearest point of relief that is not closer to the hole you’re supposed to be playing toward. It has to be completely off the green. From there, you get a clublength to drop the ball (don’t place it!).
And if you’re wondering, yes, you can clean the ball before putting it back in play (Rule 14.1c).
What do I do if my ball just hit another ball on the green?
What happens if my three-minute search for a lost ball gets interrupted?
I hit myself with my own ball. Is that a penalty anymore?
What exactly is an embedded ball?
Touching the green to see if it’s wet: Penalty or no?
I hit a horrible shot. I’m way better off if I don’t find it. Can I just declare it lost?
Does a ball have to be unplayable to declare it unplayable?
I accidentally hit my ball with a practice stroke … does it count?
I’m on the green. My opponent is not. Who’s away?
I bent my putter and it actually works better. Can I still use it?
Somebody just picked up my golf ball! Now what?
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
