Cart path drop ruling in a scramble

[mjf]

In a scramble, players generally get to place their ball within one club length (no nearer the hole) from where it comes to rest.

The situation I'm wondering about:

Cart path down the the left side of a hole with woods immediately to the right of the cart path. The ball comes to rest on the cart path about 2 feet from the left edge (ie. 2 feet from the woods).

Normally, for a right-handed player to get relief from the path, he'd need to drop it in the woods as that would be his nearest point of relief. However, as it's a scramble, he can place the ball within one club length. By moving the ball one club length away from the woods the ball is still on the cart path... but now the new nearest point of relief is in the rough.

Would it be legit to play it this way? I guess what I'm asking is should you be able to get relief from where you choose to place your ball in a scramble?

Thanks.

[AAA]

That's the problem with scramble rules questions, you are going to get umpteen different answers. All are right or all are wrong.

[BC MIST]

Would it be legit to play it this way? I guess what I'm asking is should you be able to get relief from where you choose to place your ball in a scramble?

Forget for a moment that it is a scramble. If you were playing in the individual stroke play "Citizen" tournament and the Notice to Competitors indicated that you could mark, lift, clean and place the ball, within 1 club length of the original lie, through the green, could you:
(1) MLC&P and then if the ball came to rest on the CP, take relief?
(2) Take relief from the CP and then MLC&P?
(3) Both?

[mjf]

Hmmmm... Order of operations for golf eh?

I'm going to say that I'm perfectly within my rights to take my one club length wherever I feel it will be most advantageous to me... which would clearly be further away from the woods but still on the cart path. Now, finding myself with a lie on a cart path, there is no question that I'm entitled to relief regardless of how I got there.

Looking at it that way, it's pretty clear... to me. Do I pass?

[AAA]

Forget for a moment that it is a scramble. If you were playing in the individual stroke play "Citizen" tournament and the Notice to Competitors indicated that you could mark, lift, clean and place the ball, within 1 club length of the original lie, through the green,

Would that be the approved local rule that I can't find in my book?

[BC MIST]

Would that be the approved local rule that I can't find in my book?

It's on the inside back cover.

[quinner]

If it's a scramble, I would simply use a someone else ball. Problem solved!