Henry played a good shot to within eight feet of the hole. As the coin marking Henry’s ball interfered with Tom’s putt, Henry moved it one putter head to the side. After Tom putted Henry forgot to move the mark back, replacing the ball and putting from the coin’s new position. He holed the putt. What's the ruling?

Does 15/4 apply or does 20-7c/1 apply?
For 15/4, the siatuation is treated as playing a wrong ball while 20-7c/1 as ball being played from wrong place. 15/4 may result DQ while 20-7c/1 doesn't.

For your quick reference:

15/4
Player Lifts Ball, Sets It Aside and Plays It from Where Set Aside
Q. A player marks the position of his ball on the putting green, lifts the ball and sets it aside. By mistake, he putts the ball from the spot at which he set it aside. What is the ruling?

A. When a ball is lifted under Rule 20-1, it is out of play – see Definition of “Ball in Play”. When the player played a stroke with his ball while it was out of play, he played a wrong ball (Rule 15-3).

In match play, the player lost the hole (Rule 15-3a).
In stroke play, he incurred a penalty of two strokes and was required to correct the error before playing from the next tee; otherwise, he would be disqualified (Rule 15-3b).

20-7c/1
Ball Replaced at Wrong Place on Putting Green and Holed
Q. In stroke play, a competitor in replacing his ball on the putting green inadvertently put the ball in a wrong place nearby and holed out. The error was then discovered and the competitor put his ball in the right place and holed out. What is the ruling?

A. The score with the ball played from the wrong place counts and the competitor must add two penalty strokes to that score (Rule 16-1b or 20-3a and 20-7c).

The competitor incurs no penalty for having putted from the right place after holing out from a wrong place.


Many thanks!