Whiff followed by ball movement

Larry was having a particularly bad start on hole number 7 last weekend. After a beautiful practice swing he stepped up to the ball on the tee and made a stroke at the ball and caught nothing but air. While this is a good term if shooting hoops, it is a whiff when playing golf. Some what embarrassed, he again addressed the ball but accidentally knocked it off the tee. He lifted it back on the tee and said, well I guess this means I am now hitting lying one (1), hitting two (2). Was Larry correct? What is the correct answer and why?

A. Yes Larry is correct, Lying One (1) hitting two (2) is correct. Take a penalty for whiffing your tee shot, but replace your ball without penalty for accidentally knocking it off the tee.

B. No, Larry is not correct, he still hitting one (1). No contact was made on the whiff stoke, so no stroke is counted. Likewise, a ball falling off a tee does not incur a stroke. Larry may have looked awkward, but he was still lying zero (0) and was facing his first stroke.

C. No, Larry is not correct, he is lying two (2) hitting three (3). Count one stroke for his whiff and one penalty stroke for moving his ball while it was in play and replace it.

D. No, Larry is not correct, he is lying two (2) hitting three (3). Count one stroke for his whiff and one penalty stroke for moving his ball and play it as it lies.

The correct answer: C. When Larry made a stroke at the ball, it was a stroke and counted as a stroke, even though he whiffed the ball. At that point the ball is deemed to be in play. Rule 11-3 regarding a ball falling off the tee no longer applies. When the ball moves after it is addressed, you incur a penalty stroke and must replace the ball as per (Rule 18-2b). Larry is lying two (2) hitting three (3). Count one stroke for his whiff and one penalty stroke for moving his ball while it was in play and replace it.

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Bob Kennedy

Editor, Off The Fringe golf newsletter