Q: I have been watching some golf tournaments. I noticed a bird almost picked a golf ball off the side of the green in a recent tournament. What would be the ruling on this if it happened?
—Marti Prinsen, Riverdale
A: If a bird or any "outside agency" moves or takes a ball, there "is no penalty and the ball must be replaced," states Rule 18-1 of the "Rules of Golf."
This has occurred in pro tournaments, including in the 2014 Australian PGA Championship, when a bird took a ball.
Also that year, an iguana moved a ball while trying to bite it during the final round of the Puerto Rico Open.
A gull swiped Steve Lowery’s ball from the green on the 17th hole at the Players Championship in 1998 and then dropped it into the water.
Q: A 2014 avalanche killed 16 Sherpas on Mount Everest and wiped out the expedition season. An earthquake last year ended that season. I was wondering if plans are under way for a 2016 season.
—Kathy McDonough, Peachtree Corners
A: Nepal has issued 289 permits to foreign climbers this year, “nearly has many” as previous years, a mountaineering department official told the Associated Press.
“This is much more than what we all had expected,” Pemba Sherpa, who runs a guesthouse, told the AP.
Sherpas have set up Everest Base Camp to prepare for the two-month climbing season.
No one reached the summit last year after an earthquake and avalanche killed 19 people.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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