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.

QUESTION: My question regards the last round of (THE PLAYERS Championship), when at the 10th hole Steve Ames hits out of the trap and the ball rebounds back into the same trap. Before moving to hit his second shot out of the same trap, I noticed Mr. Ames smoothing out his footprints before moving to the location of his second shot. Is the smoothing out of footprints within the rules of golf? Thank you. Wayne Cotts

PRUITT: Wayne, thanks for checking out PGATOUR.com and sending your question. Let’s use the word bunker for trap. I was advancing the Bell South Classic in Duluth, Ga., and didn’t see Mr. Ames play the 10th hole. We got several questions like yours, though, and here is a statement our Rules Staff released:

While playing the 10th hole during the fourth round of THE PLAYERS Championship on Sunday, Stephen Ames played his third stroke from a greenside bunker and the ball did not get out of the bunker. While the ball was still in the bunker, he used his feet to smooth his footprints from where he played his first stroke from the bunker. The area that he smoothed did not improve his lie or assist him during his subsequent play of the hole.

Ames was not penalized because Exception 2 to Rule 13-4 states: "The player after playing the stroke, or his caddie at any time without the authority of the player, may smooth sand or soil in the hazard, provided that, if the ball is still in the hazard, nothing is done which improves the lie of the ball or assists the player in his subsequent play of the hole."

QUESTION: Is there a limit to the number of balls a PGA TOUR player can have in his bag during a tournament? James Burdette

PRUITT: James, there is nothing in the Rules that limits the number of golf balls that can be carried by a player or his caddie. Thanks for the question.

QUESTION: Dillard, Clarence Rose here. What happens to a player when he is late for his tee time? Is he still able to tee off if his group is in the fairway? Go Tigers...

PRUITT: C. Rose it’s great to hear from you. How’s the game? The key part of this question is the note to Rule 6-3a. On page 27 of the Rule book the note basically says that the committee may provide in the conditions of the competition, that if a player arrives at his starting point ready to play within five minutes after his starting time he is under a two-stoke penalty. It doesn’t really matter where the players are on the hole; it’s all about the five minutes. One second after the five-minute mark the player would be disqualified. Clarence, if the note has not been adopted and the player arrives to his tee late he would be disqualified. Thanks for the question, Rose Bud.

(Editor’s note: Clarence Rose is a former PGA TOUR champ and Clemson standout, as is Pruitt.)

QUESTION: I was addressing my golf ball on my local course and a gust of wind blew my hat off onto the ball and moved it. In fact, it rolled a yard or so down a small hillock. I took a penalty shot for the avoidance of doubt. Was I correct? Would I have incurred a penalty if I was not addressing the ball? Richard Jeffery of North Sydney, Australia.

PRUITT: Richard, I work with an Australian named Steve Rintoul and we would like a definition of hillock. To answer your question, you applied the correct penalty of one stroke for causing your ball at rest to move. The Rule that we are dealing with is Rule 18, Ball at Rest Moved. Look at 18-2 on page 51 of the Rule book. You would have also been penalized one stroke even if you had not addressed the ball. I have a question for you? After you caused your ball to move, did you move your ball back to its original position? If you didn’t, you have played from a wrong position which is a two-stroke penalty, not a total of three, just two.