I am pretty sure I saw this last night watching the Byron Nelson. Was really tired, but pretty sure I saw Tommy Armour 3rd mark his ball and then pick his ball up. But, after he put his ball in his pocket he went back down to fix his marker that then stuck to his hands and flew up in the air and spun around. He put the mark back down and no one said anything. What is the rule if the marker sticks to your fingers and then you have to replace it, once the ball is in your pocket. Pretty sure I seen this correctly, please correct if wrong here.

I think its as follows: Causing a ball-marker to move in the process of replacing or marking your ball is the same as causing your ball to move while it is in play, according to Rules 20-1 and 20-3. You're penalized one stroke and must replace your marker.

well i think he should have been penalized if i seen correctly then. Pretty sure he had already picked his ball up. Sorry TA, but it was just right there in front of me on the tv lol.

I think decision 20-1/5.5 applies here. The player would incur a 1 stroke penalty under rule 20-1, which requires the ball to be marked before being lifted, but also assumes that the marker remains in position until the ball is replaced. Since the ball was already lifted and in his pocket, causing the marker to move it's position would incur the penalty stroke. If the marker or ball was accidently moved in the direct act of marking the ball (which it wasn't) then there would be no penalty.
What was the outcome?

Like I said I was half asleep, but this is what I pretty sure I saw. He marked the ball, lifted the ball, and then tried to push down on the marker with his finger. While trying to push down on the marker it stuck to his hand and flew up in the air and then he just put it right back down. He was slowly slowly walking away lol. If anyone tivo it, it was the last 10-15 minutes of last night on the golf channel around either 11 20 est. I think the the cutt off was at 11 30 so 10-15 minutes before the cut off. Pretty sure I saw this and wanted to make a post today about it.

and i dont know if a penalty was called or not guys.

He clearly should have been penalized for moving the marker after his ball was lifted and taken out of play. The marker, was in play in place of the ball therefore, 1 stroke should have been added.

Great use of the forum my man.

This is what GWRX is all about.

I am just hoping someone else saw this and can back what I am saying up. Like I said, I am pretty sure he did what I said, but I was also very tired and very briefly remember the night. I dont want to call out somebody without having the facts. If anyone else seen this could verify this, it would be great. I dont want to be like the kenny perry thread, just want to know if he did indeed commit a penalty and no one else noticed. I mean the announcers were talking and watching the same thing. I dont think they are allowed to say anything penalty wise on a player when they see something. Kinda like the perry incident.

20-1/12 Ball-Marker Moved Accidentally By Player After Having Moved Loose Impediments

Q. A player marked the position of his ball on the putting green with a coin and lifted the ball. He then placed his finger on the coin, while he brushed aside some loose impediments so that he did not move the coin. On lifting his finger the coin initially stuck to his finger before falling to the ground and coming to rest in a different position. What is the ruling?

A. The act of placing the finger on the coin is considered to be an extension of the marking process (see Decision 20-1/6). Therefore, as the movement of the coin was directly attributable to the specific act of marking the position of the ball, the player incurs no penalty and the ball or ball-marker must be replaced (Rule 20-1).


While TA3 wasn't moving loose impediments, he was touching his ball marker according to the OP. I think we can apply 20-1/12 and say that there is no penalty.

He was in the act of marking the ball. Its the same as if your mark stuck to your putter when you tapped it down for someone. There is not penalty as it is in the act of marking.

"Pretty sure I saw this correctly..."

(you asked! )

I saw it too. I thought he had marked his ball and picked up his ball and out came a second marker which he picked up. I have it tivo, let me see if I can find it.

edit: It was infact a second coin that had fallen an inch behind the coin he used to mark his ball. After marking the ball he went to pick up the coin farther back and he dropped it again. Looked weird but no penalty.