Wind Is Causing Golf Balls To Move On The Greens At The US Open... What's The Ruling?
The US Open at Shinnecock Hills has been hit with big gusts and, consequently, golf balls have been rolling off greens... But what is the ruling for when it happens?
Wind is already causing problems at the US Open, with several players seeing their golf ball oscillate or, in some cases, roll off the green after coming to rest.
Defending Champion JJ Spaun, for example, found the green at the par 3 seventh with his tee shot but, moments later, his golf ball rolled off the putting surface and into a bunker.
Winds were seen gusting up to 35mph and, consequently, it led to the question being asked of what happens if the wind does blow the ball off the green?
Is there a penalty? Do players replace it, or do they play it as it lies? Here, we take a look.
Well, according to the USGA, the answer depends on one thing, which is had the player already lifted and replaced the golf ball?
If the player had lifted and replaced, and the wind then caused it to move, then the ball must be replaced. If the ball hasn't, been lifted then it's played from wherever it came to rest.
Essentially, because Spaun hadn't lifted and replaced his ball before it rolled back into the bunker, he had to play it as it lies. In fairness to the American, though, he did get up-and-down to save par.
Spaun at the par 3 seventh during his round at the US Open
Under Rule 13.1d: "If the ball had been lifted and replaced on its original spot before it moved, the ball must always be replaced on its original spot, regardless of what caused it to move.
"The ball must be played from its new spot only if the ball had not been lifted and replaced before it moved."
It wasn't always like this, though, with the rule only being changed recently. The reason for the change was down to the fact that the outcome could be unfair, such as the ball rolling into the water or bunker.
There's been plenty of talk this week about wind at Shinnecock Hills.But what do the Rules of Golf actually say?Our Jay Roberts explains what happens when a gust blows your ball across the green. pic.twitter.com/5L5UUTYPFfJune 18, 2026
Adding further, the USGA explained the revision of the rule: "When a ball at rest is moved by natural forces such as the wind, it is normally played as it lies because its movement is considered a continuation of the previous stroke, as no person or object affected where the ball lies.
"But when the moved ball had already been lifted and replaced, the connection to the previous stroke is no longer obvious.
"This is especially true on the putting green, where a player is allowed to mark, lift and replace a ball for any reason and many players do so as a matter of course.
"When a ball on the green moves after having come to rest: 'It can result in outcomes that seem unfair, such as when the ball rolls off the green (sometimes ending up in a bunker or in water) or rolls close to or into the hole.
"'Requiring the ball to be replaced if it had already been lifted and replaced eliminates such outcomes in those situations."'
