The ball is on a paved cart path in the general area near some bushes. The player marks and lifts the ball to take relief from the cart path and then realizes that the relief area would require a stance in the bushes. She replaces the ball on its original spot, lifts the ball-marker, and plays the ball. Is there a penalty?Yes. The player was allowed to take relief, but once the ball was lifted, relief under Rule 16.1 must be taken to avoid penalty. Although she replaced the ball on its original spot, she incurs a penalty of one stroke (both match play and stroke play) for lifting the ball in play (Rule 9.4b and Clarification 9.4b/4).
The player was not required to mark the spot of the ball when taking relief under Rule 16.1. Had she not marked the ball and wished to play from the cart path, as in this example, she would have estimated the original spot of the ball. There would not have been a further penalty.
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