If a player hits the ball and it touches the tee (or club) after the stroke, is there a penalty?

When dropping a ball during relief, the player should be careful not to let the ball touch any person or object.

Situation:

During a stroke play hole of par-4, after the player's tee shot, the ball came to rest on a cart path in the general area. When dropping the ball from the cart path, the player's ball touched the nearest point of complete relief marker before hitting the ground. The ball came to rest within one club-length of that marker, not nearer the hole. The player hit the ball onto the green and 2-putted. What is the player's score for that hole?

Answer:

A tee is a player's equipment. Since the ball touched the player's equipment before hitting the ground during the drop, the player made an incorrect drop. The player must drop the ball again correctly. By hitting the ball from the relief area without re-dropping, the player incurs a one-stroke penalty (two-stroke penalty if the ball is hit outside the relief area). In this situation, the player's score would be 5 strokes (4 strokes played and 1 penalty stroke). Refer to Rule 14.3b. Some notes on dropping the ball:

1. The ball must be dropped by the player.
2. The ball must be dropped from knee height.
3. The player must not throw or roll the ball.
4. Before the ball strikes the ground, care must be taken to ensure that it does not touch the player or their equipment.
5. The ball must first strike the ground within the relief area.