Dear Linda,
Whilst playing in our society competition recently the following situation arose. One of the lads played his second shot, which pulled to the left and entered some rough ground close to a ditch. Feeling that the ball might be lost, he declared he was going to play a provisional ball, which he duly did. When we got to the area of the first shot, he found his ball and it was in a playable position. However, it had crossed the margin marked by red stakes and was therefore lying in a hazard. I ventured a ruling that his first ball was 'dead' and his provisional ball was now the ball in play. He accepted this gracefully and played out the hole with the second ball. After the game, one of the other members of our four ball, (a grumpy old man), decided to stir things up with the rest of the society by claiming I had given an incorrect ruling. After much discussion many were of the opinion that I was wrong. Did I call it right or was I telling fibs?
Thanking you in anticipation,
Kind regards,
Lou
Dear Lou,
Your ruling was incorrect, Lou. Here’s why:
A player is permitted to hit a provisional ball for a ball that may be lost outside a water hazard [Rule 27-2a]. The player in your scenario did precisely that.
The player is required to abandon the provisional and continue play with the original if he finds it. Your player found his ball. The correct procedure would have been to continue play with the ball found in the hazard [Rule 27-2c].
I suspect your confusion may stem from another related Rule. If the player in your scenario had been virtually certain that his ball was in the hazard, and he played another ball from the tee (under 26-1a), this would now be his ball in play. When he found his ball in the hazard, even though it was playable, he would not be permitted to continue play with that ball. It is no longer his ball in play [Decision 26-1/3.5].
A provisional ball must be abandoned when the original is found; a second ball played for a ball that is known to be in a water hazard is your ball in play, regardless of where or whether the original is found.
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
