American Greensomes question

[TerryA]

The format is you both t off, play each others ball then select one to play after both taking your second shot. The scenario is:
We both t off, both play the second shot, both balls end up on gree except the one I hit, on closer inspection, was not my ball - I must have played another ball similar to mine that was on the fairway.

Our opponents insisted it was loss of hole, we thought it should just have discounted that ball from the hole. We went with the decision from our opponent but I don't think this is correct

 

[Colin L]

The format is you both t off, play each others ball then select one to play after both taking your second shot. The scenario is:
We both t off, both play the second shot, both balls end up on gree except the one I hit, on closer inspection, was not my ball - I must have played another ball similar to mine that was on the fairway.

Our opponents insisted it was loss of hole, we thought it should just have discounted that ball from the hole. We went with the decision from our opponent but I don't think this is correct

It's not, of course a format you find in the Rule Book so you really have to make the best fit you can if the situation isn't covered in the rules of the competition. In a fourball better ball match, only the player who plays a wrong ball is disqualified for that hole. His partner can continue. From that you might argue that you carry on with the one ball that is still in play. It's not really different from your hammering your ball OOB and having only the other ball to play the next shot. I think I would go with that although there are opposing possibilities.

 

[chrisd]

I 'd go with that view too.

You're free to choose at the point that they are both on the green and it's not likely that you would choose the "wrong ball"

I think it's another one of those situations where someone sounds more confident when he get the rule wrong so so everyone accepts what he says!

 

[Hobbit]

Your playing partner didn't do anything wrong. Why loss of hole for him?

 

[Matty]

This format is not explicitly covered in the rules but there is advice:

http://www.usga.org/uploadedFiles/USGAHome/rules/competition_guidelines/12HowToConduct_lowres.pdf

This says (on page 12) that a penalty should apply to the holed out ball, so if the 'wrong ball' was not further played then no penalty although I expect that due to the format that player is DQ'd for that hole.