Rules question · Rule 8.3b · Hard
Another player breaks a branch for me: who is penalised?
In stroke play, a branch hangs in your line of play. You ask another player to break it off, and they do. What is the ruling?
Answer
Two penalty strokes for you and two for the other player
You both get the general penalty, so two penalty strokes each in stroke play. You breach Rule 8.1, because the branch was broken off at your request and this improves your line of play. The other player breaches Rule 8.3, which prohibits deliberately improving or worsening the conditions affecting another player’s stroke. The same applies if you do not ask them but allow it.