KLPGA's Shin Da-in Penalized for Confusing Ball-Cleaning with Preferred Lies

During the second round of the KLPGA Tour Hana Financial Group Championship held at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon last September, Shin Da-in's tee shot on the fourth hole landed on the fairway—but on bare dirt with almost no grass. The ball was also caked with mud. Due to heavy rainfall the day before, the tournament committee had implemented a "ball-cleaning" local rule (Model Local Rule E-2). Shin lifted her ball, cleaned it, and played her shot.

However, playing partner Park Hye-jun raised an objection, pointing out that Shin had not returned the ball to its original position. Shin acknowledged she had placed the cleaned ball on grass rather than back on the bare dirt.

Shin appears to have confused ball-cleaning with the preferred lies rule (Model Local Rule E-3). Under ball-cleaning rules, players must replace the ball in its exact original position after cleaning. Preferred lies, by contrast, allow players to place the ball within a specified distance (such as scorecard length) from the original spot. Because Shin played from a wrong place, she incurred a general penalty of two strokes under Rule 14.7a.

Both ball-cleaning and preferred lies are local rules that tournament committees may adopt for fair play when abnormal course conditions—caused by spring thaw, summer downpours, or extreme heat—are widespread across the course. However, players must understand the precise difference between these rules to avoid costly mistakes. They should also carefully check whether the rule applies only to fairways in the general area or extends to other parts of the course.