A player's tee shot is picked up by a dog in the general area while the ball is still moving. The ball was going to go into a penalty area. The player drops a within 1 club-length of where the dog picked up the ball. The player hits their next shot onto the putting green and makes the putt. What is the player's score for the hole?

A.       3
B.       4
C.       5
D.       6

Many things can happen during our round of golf, some of them we can control and some we cannot. We often see different types of rules scenarios play out when watching an event on television that involve fans either deflecting balls or picking them up off of the golf course.

Two of these situations that I remember most is when a bird picked a players ball up on the 17thgreen at Sawgrass, the island green, and while flying away dropped the ball in the water. Another is at an event in Florida when an iguana was spotted pushing a ball across the green moving the ball closer to the hole for the player.

At times our ball in motion can either be stopped or deflected by an person, animal, or find its way into the back of a piece of equipment as its driving around the golf course. In these types of situations what do we do?  Is it the same for a ball in motion as with a ball at rest?

Rule 11 gives us guidance on how to proceed when a ball in motion hits either a person, animal, or other objects. Clarification 11.1b/3, What to Do When Ball Played from Anywhere Except Putting Green Is Deflected or Picked Up by an Animal, addresses this situation directly.

If a ball played from anywhere except the putting green is in motion and is stopped or deflected by an animal, there is no penalty, and the ball must be played as it lies (see Rule 11.1).

But if an animal picks up a ball in motion or the ball has come to rest on the animal free relief must be taken using the point where the animal picked up the ball as the reference point (see Rule 11.1b(1)).

For example, a ball played from the fairway is picked up by a dog while it is still in motion. The ball has come to rest on the animal at the point where the dog picked up the ball.

• If the ball was picked up on the fairway, a ball must be dropped within one club-length of and no nearer the hole than the point where the ball was picked up by the dog in the general area.
• If the ball was picked up on the putting green, a ball must be placed on the putting green on the estimated spot where the ball was picked up.

In this week’s rules situation, the player proceeded correctly by dropping a ball where the dog picked up the ball. The players score for the hole is 3, has they have taken 3 talent strokes and 0 penalty strokes, making this week’s answer A.