ball hit rake and rolls back into bunker

Question
I would like to know the golf rule regarding a chip made from 50 yards, ball hits a rake and rolls back into a bunker (it would have been on the green if it didn't hit the rake);  can I hit a new ball from my 50 yards mark without losing a stroke?

Answer
Hello Yvon:  What you've described is covered under Rule 19-1 which says that anytime a ball in motion strikes an outside agency it is a rub of the green and the ball is played as it lies.  Had your ball gone into the hole after hitting the rake instead of the bunker, you'd probably be thankful you weren't forced to replay the shot.  And if you play long enough, you'll have instances in which your ball ends up better off after being deflected by an outside agency.  You'll get good breaks and bad breaks in golf and my advise is to take them both in stride and try to look at the bad breaks as opportunities to hit good shots from bad lies.

Thanks for the question Yvon.

Fairways and Greens,

John

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