Dear Linda,
A player hit his tee shot into the trees. He started searching, but quickly (within one minute) abandoned the search and returned to the tee to hit a provisional ball. Another player found the ball within three minutes. Was the player permitted to hit a provisional ball after he had gone forward and begun searching for it?
Lou from New Jersey
Dear Lou,
Yes.
Interpretation 18.3a/2 (from the Official Guide) tells us that “if a player is able to return to the spot of his or her previous stroke and play a provisional ball before the three-minute search time has ended, the player is allowed to do so.”
It goes on to say, “If the player plays the provisional ball and the original ball is then found within the three-minute search time [as was the case in your question], the player must continue play with the original ball.”
Linda
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