9.4.b Deliberately lifting ball. I.e stopping the ball

[backwoodsman]

The referees decision was definitely bizarre. After all, if the ball was truly 'lost' then how on earth could one identify it? You'd have no ball to identify?

See rule 18.1 - "at any time, a player may take stroke & distance relief ..." . No provisos, no qualification - just a simple statement of 'at any time ...'

 

[clubchamp98]

Maybe he was a football referee.