from Bunker ], Wallace was entitled to the lie and line of play that he had when his ball came to rest . Therefore , in equity per Rule 1-4 , he was entitled to remove the sand deposited by Harrington ’ s stroke , in addition to cleaning his ball after marking and lifting it , all without penalty .
3 . ( e ) Pieters ’ ball did not come to rest on a wrong putting green , even though it was far closer to the 14th hole than the 4th hole . The Definition of “ Putting Green ” points out that the putting green is all ground of the hole being played that is specifically prepared for putting . See also Decision 25-3 / 1 [ Status of Double Green Serving Hole Not Being Played ] which points out that part of a double green can be a wrong putting green only if the Committee divides the green by use of stakes or a line , declaring one part to be the green for one hole , and the other part to be the green for the other hole . This was not done at Carnoustie .
There is nothing in the Rules that requires a player to use a putter on the putting green . Rule 1-1 [ General ] states , “ The Game of Golf consists of a playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules .” Note that this Rule does not dictate the use of any particular club anywhere between the teeing ground and the hole . Also note that , although Pieters did not damage the putting green by using an iron to chip his ball towards the 4th hole , there is nothing in the Rules that penalizes a player for damaging a putting green in the course of making a stroke from the putting green .
There is nothing in the Rules that prohibits a player from leaving the flagstick in the hole when playing a stroke from the putting green or elsewhere . However , a player risks incurring a penalty should his or her ball strike the flagstick in the hole when the stroke was made from the putting green . Rule 17-3 [ Ball Striking Flagstick or Attendant ] states , in part , “ The player ’ s ball must not strike … the flagstick in the hole , unattended , when the stroke has been made on the putting green .”
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