tobybarker
Active member
the rules might suggest it's ok to decide to play a pb afterwards but this just FEELS uncomfortable..... or is that just me?!
Provisional Ball in Matchplay
- Thread starter SwingsitlikeHogan
- Start date
Steven Rules
Well-known member
It's often hard enough to explain the Rules. Expecting us to explain how you feel about the Rules is near impossible.
salfordlad
Well-known member
It's an opportunity to save time that may help some folk in some situations. It's not a requirement.
doublebogey7
Head Pro
Just you I reckon. Remember a provisional is played in case a ball is lost or oob, without the provisional the player would be effectively be playing "out of order" in any case once established the ball is lost.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Not just him, I didn’t press my case about playing a provisional after my opponent had messed up his shot simply because I didn’t feel comfortable that I was right, indeed it rather felt wrong. And his words ‘the match has moved on‘ felt right.
Of course I could have taken my thinking back to a tee shot. I hit a poor one, then my opponent hits a poor one also. At that point I’d have no hesitation whatsoever playing a provisional even though I had not expressed any intention to do so before he played.
Slab
Occasional Tour Caddy
As interesting a read as its been I’m wondering why @silh wouldn’t have automatically hit a provisional rather than just ‘thought about it’ & decided not to?
You’re in “grim knee high deep stuff” closer to the hole than your opponent and both of you have played 2 shots.
That seems way too soon to be mentally conceding the hole by deciding to not hit a provisional (only rethinking after your opponent went a bit wayward with his 3rd)
Jeez you could’ve holed your provisional 4th shot, not just stiffed it. That’s gotta have an effect on his 3rd shot execution
You’re in “grim knee high deep stuff” closer to the hole than your opponent and both of you have played 2 shots.
That seems way too soon to be mentally conceding the hole by deciding to not hit a provisional (only rethinking after your opponent went a bit wayward with his 3rd)
Jeez you could’ve holed your provisional 4th shot, not just stiffed it. That’s gotta have an effect on his 3rd shot execution
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SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
BIB…my head was scrambled.
I’d fought back from 3dwn at the turn to 1dwn - on the way on the back nine not losing either of the two holes i was giving him shots on…not an easy thing to do when playing a half decent player. And from the middle of the 17th fairway after another cracking drive, and seeing my opponent having to play out of a fairway bunker to just 20yds ahead of me - I had a possible win and squaring the match for the 18th…
And just at that point against a really stiff wind I decided to manipulate a punch shot into the green - forgetting completely that when I manipulate the club when playing a shot there is a very good chance that I’ll shank it. And I did.
In the time taken for me to unscramble my thinking he’d played his 3rd wide of the green - and at that point my logical thinking ‘play a provisional‘ kicked in.
cliveb
Head Pro
This.
I have a very firm rule in matchplay: never concede a hole until your opponent is on the green. Until then, anything could happen.
Colin L
Tour Winner
Exactly. I love those moments (at my level of unpredictable golf) when I'm hunched over a putt for a half in 8.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
I did scramble a half in 6s, or did he scramble one with me…Exactly. I love those moments (at my level of unpredictable golf) when I'm hunched over a putt for a half in 8.
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