This is an unusual situation.
One of my playing partners has driven off and is not sure
where his ball has finished, so he decides to play a provisional ball and
notifies the group accordingly.
The provisional is hit, in sight and in play.
When we look for his original ball we find it and it is in
play. He can only hit out of some trees sideways. However when he does this he
hits his provisional ball.
As we see it, if when you play your ball it strikes
you or any of your equipment it is a penalty. [If a ball struck by you is
deflected or stopped by you, your partner, your caddies or your
equipment, you incur a penalty of one stroke and play the ball as it
lies (Rule
19-2)].
The player argues that once he has found his original
ball and it is in play he says that his provisional ball is no longer in play
and therefore hitting it does not incur him a penalty.
My point is that the provisional ball is still part of his
equipment and that had he left his bag in the spot where the provisional was
and had hit his bag he would incur the penalty.
Can you please let me have your decision on this rather
unusual situation?
Many thanks,
Lou from Spain
Dear Lou,
As soon as a player finds his original ball, the provisional
must be abandoned [Rule 27-2c]. An abandoned ball is no longer part of a
player’s equipment, so there is no penalty if the player’s original ball
strikes his provisional ball. The ball must be
played as it lies [Decision 19-5/5].
Linda
Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
