RULES OF GOLF Golfer penalized for waiting too long for ball to drop into the hole

You only have 10 seconds, after a reasonable amount of time to see if your golf ball will fall in the hole.

American Lee Hodges faced a tricky putt for par at the 17th hole during his third round of the PGA Championship.

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1659966042175569921

Hodges looked like he had read the line of the putt beautifully but somehow the ball skirted around the edge of the hole and stopped on the lip.

Agonizingly close to dropping into the hole, Hodges waited to see if the ball would fall in. Playing partner Jordan Spieth urged him to wait, saying, “I think it’s gonna go”.

Eventually, it did drop into the hole. But it did so a full 35 seconds after Hodges hit the ball,  contravening Rule 13 of the rules of golf.

You really only have 10 seconds to wait before the ball is deemed stationary. After this time, no matter what happens to the golf ball, you must replace it on the edge of the hole.

13.3 Ball Overhanging Hole
a. Waiting Time to See If Ball Overhanging Hole Will Fall into Hole
If any part of a player’s ball overhangs the lip of the hole:

The player is allowed a reasonable time to reach the hole and ten more seconds to wait to see whether the ball will fall into the hole.

If the ball falls into the hole in this waiting time, the player has holed out with the previous stroke.

If the ball does not fall into the hole in this waiting time:

The ball is treated as being at rest.

If the ball then falls into the hole before it is played, the player has holed out with the previous stroke, but gets one penalty stroke added to the score for the hole.

After the round, PGA Championship officials assessed Hodges a 1-stroke penalty.

“During play of the 17th hole, Hodges played his first putt to the edge of the hole and after having walked up to the hole, behind his ball, he then waited more than 10 seconds. The ball then fell into the hole, after the 10-second limit provided for in the Rule. As a result, Hodges received a one-stroke penalty, under Rule 13.3a, and the ball was holed.”