The evil fires the first shot...Playing the wrong ball.

Yesterday, CYM, Robert and Johnathan were Saddaming me. I was dormie-3 up after Hole 6 when CYM and Robert were both on the Navy 7th fairway. CYM layed up before the green and Robert attacked the green and got his ball just off the green.

When CYM was about to hit his 3rd shot from about 80m, he shouted at Robert, "Why did you hit the wrong ball?"

I was totally amazed and immediately defended Robert.

I replied "You were the one who hit first, how can you blame Robert?".

The chinese has a saying "Er ren xian kao zhuang". This is a classic case. Poor Robert.

But more importantly for me, in a matchplay that would mean loss of hole and I won the Saddam 4 and 2.

Do read the rules below as listed in USGA.

15-3. Wrong Ball

a. Match Play

If a player makes a stroke at a wrong ball, he loses the hole.
If the wrong ball belongs to another player, its owner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played. If the player and opponent exchange balls during the play of a hole, the first to make a stroke at a wrong ball loses the hole; when this cannot be determined, the hole must be played out with the balls exchanged.

b. Stroke Play

If a competitor makes a stroke or strokes at a wrong ball, he incurs a penalty of two strokes.

The competitor must correct his mistake by playing the correct ball or by proceeding under the Rules. If he fails to correct his mistake before making a stroke on the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole of the round, fails to declare his intention to correct his mistake before leaving the putting green, he is disqualified.

Strokes made by a competitor with a wrong ball do not count in his score. If the wrong ball belongs to another competitor, its owner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played.