Sneakylong This is another case of no one knows all the rules. We play with guys who didn't know in a lift, clean and place situation it runs thru the green. Meaning you can clean your ball anywhere on the collar of the green.
Too many rules.
As somebody above said this is NOT an official rule under the rules of golf....it is an addition or exception that is made by a tournament committee based on the conditions of play. I think at one time it was in an appendix under local rules...but it can and does vary by situiation
In all such cases players and caddies would receive notice , usually through written local rules and such which are given out to players and caddies at the event. There is no excuse for Lexi and her caddy to not know this....and if Im not mistaken she made a similar such mistake before. it really has nothing to do with knowing the rules of golf and everything to do with being prepared and having some semblance of intelligence and responsibility
In both the recent tournies I played with the committee local rule we received a rules sheet as is always the case.
found this which explains it well...
" When it rains a lot in a golf tournament, tournament officials and the committee will often decide to allow players to play under lift, clean and place rules -- also known as preferred lies. The idea with lift, clean and place is to let the field get rewarded for hitting and staying in the fairways instead of potentially penalizing them with a nasty mudball after rain.Here's how lift, clean and place works (typically): If a golfer is hitting their current shot from a lie in the fairway of the hole they're playing, then they're able to pick up the golf ball (after first marking the original spot with a tee or other marker), clean off the golf ball, then put it back by placing it in a spot within a scorecard's length of the original position.
That wiggle room in which a player can place the ball can sometimes change. Sometimes it's a club. Sometimes it's a different measure. But, typically, a scorecard length, or about 6 inches, is the way to go."