chrisd
Major Champion
Just to throw another thing in to the mix.
You may decide not to look for your ball and play the provisional but your playing partners/opponents may get to the area first and find the ball before you hit the provisional for it's second shot and you would then be obliged to play it and pick up the provisional. Also, if the provisional is behind where the original ball was found you would not be able to claim that a declared provisional was the ball in play as you are allowed to keep hitting it as a provisional until it passes where your first ball stopped.
You may decide not to look for your ball and play the provisional but your playing partners/opponents may get to the area first and find the ball before you hit the provisional for it's second shot and you would then be obliged to play it and pick up the provisional. Also, if the provisional is behind where the original ball was found you would not be able to claim that a declared provisional was the ball in play as you are allowed to keep hitting it as a provisional until it passes where your first ball stopped.
