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Editor's note: PGA TOUR Tournament Official Dillard Pruitt has seen the game from both sides. He played the PGA TOUR from 1988-96 and won the 1991 Chattanooga Classic. He now works as a PGA TOUR rules official and will share his knowledge weekly with PGATOUR.com viewers.

Hi Dillard: I was playing the 16th @ the Palmetto. My ball had come to rest on the steep side of a sand trap against the rake head. When I removed the rake the ball didn't move but, when I attempted to address the ball, sand slid down the face of the trap and partially covered the ball. If there is a penalty, what is it? Wayne Hensley

Wayne, not only do I know the hole, and the golf course, I know you. Thanks for checking out PGATOUR.com. As long as the ball does not move there is no penalty. If the ball had moved there would have been a one stroke penalty and you have to replace the ball at its original spot. If you do not replace the ball and you play the ball from its new position, there would be a two stoke penalty for playing from a wrong place. Please tell Tom Moore I said hello. Thanks, Dillard.

In stroke play, what is the penalty if you forget to mark your ball on the green before you pick it up? Sherrianne Takata

Sherrianne, there is a one stoke penalty for touching your ball in play. You need to replace the ball in its original position and properly mark the ball and go from there. Thanks for your question.

My playing partner hit his shot on a par 3 that curled around some trees and out of sight. He declared he was hitting a provisional from the drop area (which he hit close to the pin). Upon searching, we located his ball about a foot into the hazard. He elected to play the ball lying close to the pin, saying he was not obliged to play the ball in the hazard and had already hit a provisional from the drop area. Is not the provisional ball out of play when he found the original tee shot? What were his options? Ken Stiles

Ken, there were a few mistakes made in your situation. You're allowed to hit a provisional for a ball that is lost or out of bounds. Your playing partner has to play his provisional from the tee that he hit his original from, not a drop area. Drop areas are put in by the committee for an additional option under the water hazard rule. Your playing partner has to play the original ball that was found in the hazard or operate under the water hazard rule. Thanks, Dillard.

I have been told that if I use a ball marker with a securing spike -when in competition - I will be penalized. Having just been to the Open, I took the opportunity to look for "legal" markers in the official merchandise tent. Surprisingly every marker to be found had some form of spike attached. Your help in this matter would be appreciated. Regards, Tony Hutley

Tony, I have never heard of a player being disqualified for using a ball mark with a small spike connected to one of the sides. You are fine. Thanks, Dillard.

1. How are the tee times and partners decided for the first day of the Open Championship? Are the top players in the world given any seeding or preference in either the tee times or the choice of partners?

2. When a ball has been played from tee to green by a professional golfer, can another ball be substituted on the green for putting purposes? Are there any circumstances, other than when the ball has been damaged, when a professional golfer is permitted to change to another ball after having played from tee to green?

Thank you, Phil Rogers

Phil, I'm honored that you would take the time to send in a question to the TOUR's website. I appreciated all the contributions you have made to the game of golf. I'm sorry but I cannot answer the first part of you question because I do not work for the USGA. I'm sure they have some guidelines that they use; I'm just not privileged to those guidelines. A player's ball has to be unfit for play (Rule 5-3), as in visibly cut, cracked or out of shape, to be taken out of play. You are not allowed to substitute a ball solely for putting with it without penalty. Thanks Phil for your questions, I'm sorry I cannot help you with the first part of your question. Later, Dillard.