Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Ask Linda #549-Search exceeds 5 minutes


Linda, what is the penalty when a player takes more then 5 minutes looking for a ball?
Lulu

Dear Lulu,

Once the five-minute search time has expired, the ball is deemed lost [Definition of Lost Ball]. The player must play a ball from the spot where she originally hit the ball, adding a one-stroke penalty to her score. This is known as playing a ball under stroke and distance.

If the player finds her ball after the five minutes have elapsed and plays it, she has played a wrong ball. In match play, she loses the hole. In stroke play, the penalty is two strokes, and she must correct her error by playing a ball under stroke and distance before she tees off on the next hole. If the error is not corrected, she is disqualified [Rule 15-3; Decision 27/8].

Linda
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