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DP World Tour: Dog Steals Gareth Bale’s Golf Ball from the Green

A cute video shows a dog picking up Gareth Bale’s golf ball and running away with it. What do the rules of golf say about this?

Gareth Bale's ball was stolen by a dog at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. (Photo: Getty)
Gareth Bale's ball was stolen by a dog at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. (Photo: Getty)

Gareth Bale experienced a little furry disturbance at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. On Saturday, on his third round together with Daniel Brown at the DP World Tour Pro-Am tournament, Bale was chipping his ball onto a green on the Carnoustie Golf Links when a small enthusiastic four-legged friend came running up, grabbed the ball and then ran off with it towards the spectators.

Rules of golf: When an animal moves the ball

Whilst this only happens now and again at professional tournaments, there are plenty of animals on local golf courses that could become too interested in the small white balls. So what should you do in this case? The video shows that the ball stops on the green just before the dog reaches the ball and removes it from its spot. The rules situation is therefore simple. According to Rule 9.6, the ball is simply returned to the place from which it was removed. If it is not quite certain where the ball was, the location is simply estimated.

The rule text reads as follows:

“If it is known or virtually certain that an outside influence (including another player in stroke play or another ball) lifted or moved a player’s ball at rest:
– There is no penalty, and
– The ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated).“

But what happens if the ball is picked up by an animal while it is still moving? This case is clarified in the clarifications to Rule 11.1b. The ball is then considered to have ‘come to rest on the animal’ and the player must claim penalty-free relief from the point at which the animal picked up the ball.

“If an animal picks up a ball in motion, the ball has come to rest on the animal and free relief must be taken using the point where the animal picked up the ball as the reference point.

For example, a ball played from the fairway is picked up by a dog while it is still in motion. The ball has come to rest on the animal at the point where the dog picked up the ball.
– If the ball was picked up on the fairway, a ball must be dropped within one club-length of and no nearer the hole than the point where the ball was picked up by the dog in the general area.
– If the ball was picked up on the putting green, a ball must be placed on the putting green on the estimated spot where the ball was picked up.”