| #1. Response: Play the ball from where it stopped rolling, no penalty.
USGA Ruling: If the ball remained at rest for a few seconds, you play it from where it ended up after rolling closer to the hole. Once it is at rest, the ball is in play.
Neither gravity nor wind (the forces that might have moved the ball in this situation-are considered outside agencies) so the ball is not replaced. If you are lucky enough to have the ball roll into the hole, you are considered to have holed out with your previous stroke. However, if the ball didn't start moving until after you addressed it, you are considered to have caused it to move, are penalized one stroke, and must replace the ball.
My side note: Most (good) players leave the marker (coin) behind the ball as they walk around the hole. They don't lift the marker until they are ready to putt, thus the ball was never in play. So if it moved while marked, just put it back. |