If a player asks for assistance to lift their ball and their partner chooses not to, what is the outcome?

In the context of golf, when a player requests assistance to lift their ball, it is important to recognize the relationship between the player's request and their partner's decision. If the partner opts not to assist, the individual player is not obligated to lift their ball.

This scenario leads to no penalty being incurred because the request for assistance does not create a mandatory action on the part of the player or their partner. Instead, the choice to lift the ball remains with the player themselves, meaning they can either decide to proceed with lifting it or leave it as is without facing any repercussions. Essentially, the rules allow the player to exercise their own judgment, and no penalties are imposed as a result of their partner’s decision not to assist.

In summary, the correct outcome is that there is no penalty incurred; the rules provide the flexibility for the player to continue based on their own discretion even when assistance is declined.