Rule 17-1/2

Question
I was playing in a 2-man head-to-head golf league match when we ran into a confusing situation around rule 17.

My playing partner was putting from off the green. I was standing withing arm's length of the pin, but my playing patner had not asked me to attend the pin. He hit his putt and as it made its way onto the green I pulled the pin. The ball went in.

The group we were playing cried foul, accusing me of breaking rule 17-1. They said because my partner hadn't asked me to attend the pin I could not remove it after he began his stroke.

I guess I have 2 questions:
1) Does the person hitting the shot have to verbalize their intent to have the pin attended?
2) Who is penalized for violating rule 17-1 if the person the pulled the pin illegally is a) the shot maker's partner OR b) the shot maker's opponent?

Thanks

Answer
Brian,

Before making a stroke from anywhere on the course, the player may have the flagstick attended, removed or held up to indicate the position of the hole.
If the flagstick is not attended, removed or held up before the player makes a stroke, it must not be attended, removed or held up during the stroke or while the player's ball is in motion if doing so might influence the movement of the ball.
Note 1: If the flagstick is in the hole and anyone stands near it while a stroke is being made, he is deemed to be attending the flagstick.
Note 2: If, prior to the stroke, the flagstick is attended, removed or held up by anyone with the player's knowledge and he makes no objection, the player is deemed to have authorized it.
Note 3: If anyone attends or holds up the flagstick while a stroke is being made, he is deemed to be attending the flagstick until the ball comes to rest.

Look at Note 1. You were standing within arm's length of the flagstick. This would qualify as standing near the flagstick thus attending the flag. I see no penalty here.

Let's say that you were 15 feet away when your partner hit the putt. You run and pull the flagstick out of the hole. Penalty. In match play loss of hole.

Thanks for the question,

Michael Hoffman