Rule 14-4 Striking The Ball More Than Once
If a player’s club strikes the ball more than once in the course of a stroke, the player must count the stroke and add a penalty stroke, making two strokes in all.
30-3f/6 Player Plays Away from Hole to Assist Partner
Q In a four-ball competition, a player purposely putts away from the hole to a position slightly farther from the hole than the spot where his partner’s ball lies and on the same line to the hole as his partner’s ball. The player then putts towards the hole, and the roll of his ball is helpful to his partner in determining how much his putt will break, etc. Is such procedure contrary to the Rules?
A Such procedure is contrary to the spirit of the game. In match play, in equity (Rule 1-4), the player should be disqualified for the hole and, since his action assisted his partner’s play, the partner should incur the same penalty (Rule 30-3f).
In stroke play, the player should incur a penalty of two strokes and, under Rule 31-8, the partner should incur the same penalty.