Dear Linda,
I am very pleased that my question got so much attention [Ask Linda #104 and 104A] and thank you for your detailed explanation, but the examples you give lead me to my next question:
Playing in a team match my opponent hits her tee shot and after looking for her ball could not find it.
She went back to the tee box to hit another ball. When she got to her second ball she found also her first ball.
She hit her first ball and won the hole. Playing the next hole I realized that she played the wrong ball and should have lost the hole.
Although the hole was finished and we were already on the next hole, could I still have called her on playing the wrong ball?
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
In the situation you describe, both you and your opponent were cognizant of the facts. Your opponent was apparently unaware that she was not permitted to play her original ball once she returned to the tee and hit another ball; you were uncertain as to whether she was entitled to play her original ball, but you did not question her procedure until play had already begun on the ensuing hole.
The window of opportunity to file a claim ends once anyone tees off on the next hole. A late claim can be considered only if the facts of the situation were unknown to you and your opponent gave you wrong information [Rule 2-5]. These conditions did not exist in your episode. Had you filed a claim on the spot, the Committee would have awarded the hole to you; your opponent would have lost the hole because she hit a wrong ball [Definition of Wrong Ball and Rule 14-3/a].
The examples I provided in Ask Linda #104A all involved situations where the facts were unknown to one or both players, or the information provided was incorrect and it impacted on the players’ understanding of the result of the hole. Those conditions permit a later claim.
If you don’t mind, Lulu, I’m going to use your question as a springboard to a quick review of the proper use of a provisional ball. When a player hits his original ball from the tee, if there is any doubt in his mind that he will find it, he should play a second ball from the tee before going forward to search for his ball. He must state that the second ball is a “provisional.” (I cannot emphasize enough that he should also explain how the provisional ball differs from the original, e.g., different number, marking, or brand. If he doesn’t tell you, you should ask!) If he hits a second ball from the tee and does not call it a provisional, then that second ball is now his official ball in play, and it counts as his third stroke on that hole; the original ball is now deemed to be a lost ball, regardless of whether he later finds it.
If a player hits only one tee shot, goes forward to look for it, and does not find it, he may not say: “I’m returning to the tee to hit a provisional.” The option to hit a provisional is lost once you go forward to search. The thing to remember here is that the purpose of a provisional ball is to save time. If you cannot find your original, the provisional gives you another ball to play without the long return trip to the tee.
Let’s say a player hits a tee shot and a proper provisional ball. He goes forward to search and finds both balls. The original ball is ensnared in a briar patch and is unplayable; the provisional ball is out in the open. May he play the provisional ball? The answer is a resounding “No!” Remember that when you hit a provisional it is a “just-in-case-you-don’t-find-your-original” ball. If the original ball is found, you must abandon the provisional. If the original is unplayable, you will now have to proceed under the options in Rule 28, Ball Unplayable [see Rules #3-Relief Options, Part II: Unplayable Ball, posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008].
Suppose a player “tops” his provisional off the tee. He will now continue hitting the provisional ball until he reaches the area where his original ball is likely to be. Once there, his next step is to stop hitting the provisional and search for the original ball. (Note that the five-minute limit on searching for a ball begins now.) If the ball is not found (or is found after the five minutes have expired), the player must continue with the provisional ball under penalty of stroke and distance (which means add the stroke with the original ball plus one penalty stroke to the score for the hole). If the player searches for only two minutes before he gives up and hits his provisional ball, he may not hit his original ball even if it is found one minute later. Once you hit a provisional from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from any spot closer to the hole than that place, the provisional becomes the ball in play. All of this information about lost and provisional balls may be found in Rule 27.
Advice: During a match, if you are uncertain whether your opponent is proceeding within the rules, or you and your opponent disagree regarding proper procedure, always make an immediate claim. And even if the claim never gets filed (perhaps you won the match 5 up with 4 to play thereby rendering the disputed result of one hole irrelevant), take the time to find out what the correct ruling would have been and share your newfound knowledge with your friends. A new rule understood today may save you a lost hole tomorrow!
Linda
Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
