Rules question · Rule 16.3a · Expert
Topped ball stuck in the ground: is it embedded?
You top your ball on the fairway so badly that it drives into the soft ground right in front of you without becoming airborne. Do you get free embedded ball relief?
Answer
No, it did not embed after flying through the air
A ball is embedded only if it is in its own pitch-mark made by your previous stroke and part of it is below the level of the ground. A ball driven into the ground without becoming airborne does not count. The same applies if someone steps on the ball or it is in the ground after being dropped.