Help with a Rule please

[BlueFraggle]

Morning guys,

I am hoping someone will be able to confirm what the rule is for the following scenario ....

Myself and my playing partner had a friendly knock on Saturday and the following occured.

I played my tee shot and landed just off the fairway, approx 10 yards away from a water hazard.

My partner tee'd off and his shot went towards the water hazard near to my ball, although we were not 100% sure it had gone in. He therefore played a provisional which he sliced straight into a different water hazard.

He played again, only this time his ball landed on top of my ball (what are the chances!) and from our position all we saw was one ball fly into the water hazard with the other ball staying in the rough.

When we walked up to the balls (laughing our heads off and both hoping it was the other persons ball in the water) we found out it was my ball that had gone into the water. Cue much hilarity from my partner !!

As it was only a friendly knock we were not concerned with what the official rule was, I dropped a shot and continued with the hole.

However, we are both intrigued as to what the official rule is:

1) for my ball being knocked into the water?
2) how many provisional shots should my partner have played or been allowed to play?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

 

[Wildrover]

I believe you could drop as near to the original spot as possible without penalty. I'm sure someone will quote the rule. Your playing partner can play as many provisional as needed until he manages to get one away.

 

[Duckster]

1. Your ball is replaced without penalty.

2. Your PP shouldn't have hit any provisional balls at all as you do not have that option after hitting into a water hazard.

 

[duncan mackie]

First things first

What was his first provisional ball provisional on? It can only be provisional on his first ball being lost or OOB so unless he finds the first it's in play and, with the next in the water the one that hit yours was his 5th shot.
If hos had gone off your ball into the water he plays it as it lies ie dros for penalty as appropriate.
As you ball at rest was moved by another ball in motion you get to replace your ball without penalty as close as possible to where it previously lay. In this case that would involve dropping it.

 

[Spuddy]

You replace your ball with no penalty in accordance with rule 18-4. As you'll be unsure of the exact lie etc then you need to drop it as close as possible but not nearer the hole.

As for your playing partner, he can play a provisional for the first shot that may be lost outside of a hazard. As the second ball is lost in a hazard then the ball that he played that hit your ball cannot be a provisional but is in fact in play unless the first ball is found.

Remember though, you can only play a provisional if the ball is thought to be lost outside of a hazard or if it may be OOB. If your mate played his first proviosional because it might have went into the hazard then that's not allowed and his subsequent shot that went into the other hazard would be his third.

 

[Foxholer]

A question for you first with regard to (wrt) YOUR ball.

How certain were you that it was your ball that was hit and that it was not another, completely random one? In other words, did you know, or were virtually certain, that your ball was in the rough - and not (already) in the water hazard (26-1)?

Wrt your mate's ball. Except where there is a (rare) Local Rule in place, You can't actually play 'provisional' balls for one that may have gone into a Water Hazard - only if it might be Lost or Out of bounds (27-2). So the ball that hit yours was his 5th (27-1a)!

Coming back to yours...If you were certain that it was yours was outside the Water Hazard when it was hit, then it is (must be) simply replaced - with no Penalty (18-5). If not, then it must be played as if it was not your ball that was hit - in this case relatively easily as you found it, in the Water Hazard. More 'difficult' (harsher) if you couldn't find it, as it has to be considered a Lost Ball!

 

[BlueFraggle]

Many thanks guys for all of the responses

Based on everything, I should have dropped with no penalty (It was 100% my ball that he hit with his ball)

His shot that hit mine was his 5th

Cheers

 

[Tarkus1212]

Many thanks guys for all of the responses

Based on everything, I should have dropped with no penalty (It was 100% my ball that he hit with his ball)

His shot that hit mine was his 5th

Cheers

You should have placed without penalty and not dropped.

 

[Region3]

You should have placed without penalty and not dropped.

As I understand it, you place if you know exactly where it was and drop if you know roughly where it was. Am I wrong?

 

[Colin L]

You should have placed without penalty and not dropped.

From the distance he was away from his ball when it was hit, he would not know exactly where it had lain and would therefore be required to drop not replace as Duncan said. (Rule 20-3c)

 

[duncan mackie]

You should have placed without penalty and not dropped.

the relevant rules are as follows -

Rule 18 ball at rest moved...18-5. By Another Ball

If a ball in play and at rest is moved by another ball in motion after a stroke, the moved ball must be replaced.

Rule 20-3 covers placing and replacing and in this case, as Region3 points out, the exact spot is clearly not determinable so it's
20-3c. Spot Not Determinable

If it is impossible to determine the spot where the ball is to be placed or replaced:

(i) through the green, the ball must be dropped as near as possible to the place where it lay but not in a hazard or on a putting green;