Provisional Ball

[effayjay]

The below is from a GM article in Feb 21 and below that is from the interpretation section of the R&A website. The two statements appear to be contradictory. The former stating stating that a ball can only be a provisional if played before going forward to search ( which I understood to be the rule but can find no reference to in the current rules) and the latter saying the exact opposite. Have the rules changed?

Golf Rules Explained: Provisional Ball (Rule 18.3)
The provisional ball Rule is one of the most useful Rules in the book. If, after playing a shot, you think your ball may be lost, in a penalty area, or out of bounds you should play a provisional ball. The purpose of the Rule is to save time, hence the player must inform his opponent, marker or fellow-competitor that he intends to play a provisional ball, and he must play it before he goes forward to search for the original ball.

If the player fails to do so and he plays another ball, that ball is not a provisional ball; instead it becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 18.3b).

18.3a/2
Playing Provisional Ball After Search Has Started Is Allowed
A player may play a provisional ball for a ball that might be lost when the original ball has not been found and identified even if the three-minute search time has not yet ended.

For example, if a player is able to return to the spot of his or her previous stroke and play a provisional ball before the three-minute search time has ended, the player is allowed to do so.

If the player plays the provisional ball and the original ball is then found within the three-minute search time, the player must continue play with the original ball.

 

[jim8flog]

There have been no changes to the P ball rule since 2019

The 'golf rules explained' is misleading at best about penalty area and is wrong about leaving the spot

18.3 Provisional Ball
a. When Provisional Ball Is Allowed
If a ball might be lost outside a penalty area or be out of bounds, to save time the player may play another ball provisionally under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 14.6).
For a ball that might be lost, this applies:
• When the original ball has not been found and identified and is not yet lost, and
New Rules of Golf for 2019 – Updated June 2018
107
• When a ball might be lost in a penalty area but also might be lost somewhere else on the course.
But if the player is aware that the only possible place the original ball could be lost is in a penalty area, a provisional ball is not allowed and a ball played from where the previous stroke was made becomes the player’s ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.1).

Your last but one paragraph is correct this is part of the 2019 rule change. Previously you could only return to where the last shot played if you were with a reasonable distance of that spot. e.g .you left the spot an quickly realised you were best to take a provisional

 

[rulefan]

Golf Rules Explained: Provisional Ball (Rule 18.3)

Whoever wrote that paragraph is out of date. The restriction on not going forward was removed when the 2019 rules came in to force.

 

[effayjay]

Thanks. Perhaps the article was recycled or just never taken down. Not sure why the rule was ever changed though?

 

[rulefan]

Thanks. Perhaps the article was recycled or just never taken down. Not sure why the rule was ever changed though?

Presumably to remove any questions about how far is 'forward'.

 

[jim8flog]

Thanks. Perhaps the article was recycled or just never taken down. Not sure why the rule was ever changed though?

One of the simplifications intended with the 2019 rules

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Do you still have to have a local rule to allow a provisional ball if you are not sure the original has cleared a penalty area?

 

[bobmac]

Do you still have to have a local rule to allow a provisional ball if you are not sure the original has cleared a penalty area?

 

[rulie]

Do you still have to have a local rule to allow a provisional ball if you are not sure the original has cleared a penalty area?

See Model Local Rule B-3.

 

[salfordlad]

That GM heading should have been "Golf Rules Mangled", as noted above there are two enormous howlers on 1) going forward to search (changed from 2019) and 2) penalty area reference (wrong before and from 2019).