I was chipping from the fringe and my ball was tracking towards the hole. About 2 ft from the hole, one of the guys suddenly removes the flag, and my ball hits the back of the cup and then went past about 8 inches. WTF, the guy was newbie and this was his first time playing a non-executive course. I was pissed but my buddy told me to let it go. I just tapped in for par. What were my options? Thanks.

Unless you have a time-machine, take the par and move on.

i think he would receive a penalty??? i do not think you are allowed to remove the flag while another player is chipping. it is either in or out from the fringe, no tending. so he should not be allowed to touch the flag, so wouldnt he get a penalty if this were a tournament

Rule 17

The other guy gets a 2 stroke penalty.
You play on.

TMfan: the flag may be tended, at the players request, at any time on the course.
So, if CB wanted, he could ask that the flag be tended for his chip...
rules for tending for a shot from off the green are as you know for on the green...
if tended, with the players authority, player will incur penalty if ball strikes flagstick.

The flag can be tended from anywhere on the course, but must be removed when tended. The flag cannot be removed while the ball is moving (if it has a reasonable chance to go in) if it was originally unattended

One addition-if the person who removed the flagstick was standing near the flagstick when it was still in the hole and you did not specifically tell him/her not to attend then he/she is attending the flagstick under Rule 17-1, Note 1.

i thought that you were only able to tend the flag from the fringe or green in stroke play and not have a choice from the rough??

Rule 17-1 "Before making a stroke from anywhere on the course, the player may have the flagstick attended, removed or held up to indicate the position of the hole."