What happens if someone deliberately stops my ball that needs to be holed to tie in Par/Bogey?
The hole is tied. If an outside influence deliberately stops your ball in motion when it needed to be holed to tie the hole in Par/Bogey, the hole is halved under Rule 21.3d.
How the rule works
Par/Bogey uses match-play scoring against a fixed target score set by the Committee. When your ball is in motion on the green and needs to be holed to tie the hole, and someone (an outside influence) deliberately stops or deflects it, Rule 21.3d overrides the normal stroke-play procedure. Instead of replaying the stroke or estimating where the ball would have gone, the hole is immediately considered tied (halved).
Why this differs from regular stroke play
In regular stroke play under Rule 11.2, a deliberately stopped ball usually means you must replay the stroke from the original spot. Par/Bogey changes this because the format only cares whether you win, lose, or tie each hole against the target score. Since the ball needed to be holed to tie, and an outside influence prevented that, the Rules treat the hole as tied to keep the competition fair.
What counts as an outside influence
An outside influence is anyone or anything not part of your side — a spectator, another player in a different group, an animal, or even your own caddie if they act on their own. If your partner in a Four-Ball or Foursomes deliberately stops the ball, different Rules apply. But for a solo Par/Bogey round, any deliberate interference by someone outside your match results in a halved hole.
Frequently asked questions
What if I deliberately stop my own ball that needs to be holed to tie?
If you deliberately stop your own ball, Rule 11.2 applies normally — you get the general penalty (two strokes) and must hole out. The hole is not automatically tied; you must finish the hole and compare your final score to the target.
Does this apply if the ball only needed to be holed to win the hole?
No. Rule 21.3d specifically covers a ball that needed to be holed to tie the hole. If the ball needed to be holed to win, the normal Rule 11.2 procedure applies: you replay the stroke from the original spot.
What if the ball was already past the hole and rolling away when stopped?
The rule only applies if the ball needed to be holed to tie the hole. If the ball had already passed the hole and was rolling away, it no longer needed to be holed to tie, so Rule 11.2 applies and you replay the stroke.
Who decides if the ball "needed to be holed to tie"?
The Committee decides based on the facts. If your score before the stroke was one stroke higher than the fixed target (e.g., you had taken 4 strokes on a par-4 hole), then holing the putt would tie the hole. The Committee evaluates the situation and applies Rule 21.3d if the conditions are met.
Does this rule apply in handicap Par/Bogey competitions?
Yes. Rule 21.3a states Par/Bogey can be adapted for handicap competitions, and Rule 21.3d applies regardless. The fixed target score includes any handicap strokes allocated to that hole, so "needed to be holed to tie" is judged against your net target score for the hole.