Linda,
1. Would the answer be the same if the original ball were
found in the water hazard after the player dropped another ball but before he played
it?
2. Is it too late to play the original ball, assuming it is
playable from the water hazard?
3. Or could finding the original ball in the hazard change
the place where the substituted ball should be played from?
4. And what if the original ball were found outside the
water hazard after the substituted ball was dropped?
Have a great day.
Lou from Québec, Canada
Dear Lou,
1. The player was certain his ball was in the lateral water
hazard. As soon as he dropped a ball under Rule 26-1c, that substituted ball
became the ball in play [Rule 20-4].
2. He would not be permitted to play his original ball, even
if he spotted it before he hit the dropped ball [Decision 26-1/3.5].
3. If the player misjudged where the original ball entered
the hazard, and the discovery came before he hit the dropped ball, he must re-drop
in the correct place. He may not play the original ball [Decision 26-1/16].
Before you ask, I will tell you that if the player had already hit the dropped
ball, it would be in play with the one-stroke penalty for relief from a water hazard but no additional penalty for playing from a wrong place [Decision 26-1/17].
4. It is unlikely a player who is certain his ball is in a
water hazard will find it outside the hazard. However, it does happen on
occasion. In this event, the player must play the dropped ball under penalty of
one stroke; he may not play the original ball [Decision 26-1/3.5, last paragraph].
Linda
Copyright © 2015 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
