Finding Lost Ball

[GaryK]

Player A hits drive into the rough and takes a provisional off the tee.
Players search for ball for a few minutes (less than 5 mins), player A declares ball as lost and goes to the provisional.
Player B continues searching and finds the lost ball before Player A hits the provisional.
Player A picks up the provisional and plays the ball which has been found.

What is the rule and potential penalty in this situation.

 

[Imurg]

If it's within the 5 minutes and no stroke has been made at the provisional ball, the the original ball is in play. No penalty

 

[rulefan]

player A declares ball as lost and ..

A player cannot simply declare his ball lost.
It becomes lost only in the following circumstances:

a.
It is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player's side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it; or

b.
The player has made a stroke at a provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place (see Rule 27-2b); or

c.
The player has put another ball into play under penalty of stroke and distance under Rule 26-1a, 27-1 or 28a; or

d.
The player has put another ball into play because it is known or virtually certain that the ball, which has not been found, has been moved by an outside agency (see Rule 18-1), is in an obstruction (see Rule 24-3), is in an abnormal ground condition (see Rule 25-1c) or is in a water hazard (see Rule 26-1b or c); or

e.
The player has made a stroke at a substituted ball.

 

[GaryK]

If it's within the 5 minutes and no stroke has been made at the provisional ball, the the original ball is in play. No penalty

Even despite the fact that Player A has declared the 1st ball as lost? (maybe Player B should have stopped searching after declaration of ball being lost)

The full story is that it Player A took 3 shots to get the 1st ball out of the rough, so was worse off than if he had used the provisional that was sitting in the middle of the fairway.
Needless to say, Player A was not best pleased with B!!!

 

[Imurg]

As above, you can't declare it lost. You can give up searching and ask the nobody else searches - they can carry on if they want - and then, once you've played the provisional, that becomes the ball in play.
Knowing what the rough is like around your place, I'd have had a quick look and if it's not sitting pretty I'd age said "move on" and request that the search be stopped. As I said, others don't have to stop but if I've been asked to abandon a search then I will.
Which side of which hole was it?

 

[GaryK]

It was on the 17th down the right in the trees, so not heavy rough.

 

[Imurg]

Shouldn't be a tricky find in there.....

 

[GaryK]

You wouldn't of thought so, but there were 3 of us searching. The ball had gone further forward than we initially thought.
But then, that's the story with APGC - the rough always seems to suck balls in and never spit them out (at least when I play)!

 

[Imurg]

Been there, done that, worn the t-shirt out:rofl: