Rules advice please

[NBee]

I would appreciate advice as to the correct ruling in the following situation. The 'Lost Ball' ruling ie. Rule 27(c) in the Rules of Golf does not seem to cover it. This happened in matchplay.
You are playing a short par 3. Player 1 tees off first and puts his ball by the side of the green but not in the best position. Player 2 tees off but pushes his tee shot into bushes to the side of the green where it is likely he will have a very poor lie or have to take a drop in long, thick grass. The ball is still in bounds.
Player 2 then states that he will play a provisional ball which he does putting his provisional ball very close to the pin. Without further ado, he then states that he will not look for his first ball which he will declare lost and will proceed to play with the provisional ball which probably guarantees him a four. He claims that it is solely for him, the player, to decide whether or not the first ball is lost.
Player1 is unhappy because from his poor lie by the green, he feels he will only manage a four at best whereas, if his opponents first ball could be found, it may well necessitate a drop under penalty and still leave player 2 with a difficult recovery.
Can player 1 therefore go and look for his opponents ball for 5 minutes and if successful, insist on player 2 playing his first ball? Alternatively, is player 2 correct in saying that he is fully entitled to declare his ball lost and proceed with the provisional?

 

[Imurg]

I think it depends a lot on the type of match. If it's a club comp or National comp then I'd be over there like a shot, even if only for a quick look. If the ball is found, and it doesn't have to be found by the player that hit it there, said player is obliged to go and identify it and if it's his then he must play it.
In a social game I'd agree with him to not look for it and move on.

 

[Ethan]

The answer to this is well established. Player 1 can look for player 2's first ball, and if found within 5 minutes or before player 2 has played his provisional ball from closer to the flag than the first ball lies, then the first ball is in play and the provisional is picked up.

Player 2 cannot declare his first ball lost.

Decision 27-2b/1 covers this example well:

At a par-3 hole, a player hits his tee shot into dense woods. He then hits a provisional ball which comes to rest near the hole. In view of the position of the provisional ball, the player does not wish to find his original ball. He does not search for it and walks directly towards his provisional ball to continue play with it. His opponent (or fellow-competitor) believes it would be beneficial to him if the original ball were found. May the opponent (or fellow-competitor) search for the player's ball?


Yes. In equity (Rule 1-4) he may search for five minutes provided that in the meantime the player does not play a stroke with the provisional ball, it being nearer the hole than the place where the original ball is likely to be. The player is entitled to play such a stroke. If he does, the original ball is then lost under Rule 27-2b and further search for it would serve no purpose. In match play, if the player so proceeds and his provisional ball is closer to the hole than his opponent's ball, his opponent may recall the stroke (Rule 10-1c). However, recalling the stroke would not change the status of the original ball, which was lost when the provisional ball was played out of turn. See also Decision 27-2c/2.

 

[Smiffy]

Can player 1 therefore go and look for his opponents ball for 5 minutes and if successful, insist on player 2 playing his first ball?

He certainly can.
The only drawbacks I can see are......

A) Player 2 is going to have a face resembling a bag of assorted spanners for the rest of the round
or
B) Player 2 is also going to want to insert his 7 iron quite roughly up player 1's arse
or
C) Player 2 is likely to be watching for any sign of a rules infringment by player 1 for the remaining holes
or
D) All three of the above.

So do it...but try to make sure it's on one of the closing holes, not the 1st.

 

[NBee]

Thankyou guys for this - much appreciated.