Ruling Please?

[Faldo_Fan]

I have a rules senario to run by my fellow forum users.

In a medal round 2 weeks ago......er 'my friend' was playing in a threeball with two strangers, on the par 5 3rd hole they all hit drives no problem, all played there 2nd shots and one of the group hit his into large thick bushes on the right, 'my friend' saw the ball go in and got a good line on where it went, our man drops another ball at the same spot calls it his provisional and duffs it about 10yds up the fairway, goes forward and duffs it again, this time about 30 yds further. 'My friend' goes into the bushes and straightaway finds our mans ball and it's laying ok for a sideways shot back to the fairway. Our man then announces he will play that ball, but my friend points out that as he has played another shot with his provisional ball, the original is deemed lost and the provisional is now in play! Our man then says because he didn't manage to hit his provisional past the point the original was found it was not yet in play!!!!! The other player in the 3 agreed with him and he played the hole out with the original ball.

The upside was that he made 9 on the hole and shot a 99 off of a 13 handicap so finished nowhere. However 'my friend' was marking his card and was unhappy with signing it.

This cannot be the correct procedure surely??????



* The names in this post have been changed to protect the guilty.

 

[Twire]

You can play your ball as provisional, as many times as you like........until it becomes closer to the hole than the original. If he played it after it became closer to the hole, then that provisional will then be the ball in play.

 

[JezzE]

On this occasion your 'friend' is wrong unfortunately. I can't remember the exact wording, but you are allowed to continue play with the provisional until you reach the area where you believe your original ball to be.

One of those very sensible Rules to avoid too much to-ing and fro-ing and wasted time

 

[Faldo_Fan]

You can play your ball as provisional, as many times as you like........until it becomes closer to the hole than the original. If he played it after it became closer to the hole, then that provisional will then be the ball in play.

Well i stand corrected. I assumed once he had played the provisional ball a second time it was deemed 'in play'.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[Whereditgo]

Yep!

27-2b

The player may play a provisional ball until he reaches the place where the original ball is likely to be. If he makes a stroke with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the
hole than that place, the original ball is lost and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1).

 

[Faldo_Fan]

You can play your ball as provisional, as many times as you like........until it becomes closer to the hole than the original. If he played it after it became closer to the hole, then that provisional will then be the ball in play.

Well i stand corrected. I assumed once he had played the provisional ball a second time it was deemed 'in play'.

Thanks for the correction.

Er when i said "i stand corrected" and "i assumed" of course i meant my friend

 

[freddielong]

Yes they is the rules you can continue to hit your provisional until you reach the point you "think" your original ball is

27-2• b. When Provisional Ball Becomes Ball in Play
The player may play a provisional ball until he reaches the place where the original ball is likely to be. If he makes a stroke with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place, the original ball is lost and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1).

 

[viscount17]

Rule 27-2
b.When Provisional Ball Becomes Ball in Play
The player may play a provisional ball until he reaches the place where the original ball is likely to be. If he makes a stroke with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place, the original ball is lost and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1).
If the original ball is lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, the provisional ball becomes the ball in play, under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1).
If it is known or virtually certain that the original ball is in a water hazard, the player must proceed in accordance with Rule 26-1.
Exception: If it is known or virtually certain that the original ball is in an obstruction (Rule 24-3) or an abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1c), the player may proceed under the applicable Rule.

 

[bobmac]

Almost.
If you hit your provisional ball 3 or 4 times and eventaully get it passed the point where you believe your original ball is, the original ball can still be played. When you have hit your provisional from the point beyond where your original ball is, then it becomes lost.

 

[Smiffy]

Almost.
If you hit your provisional ball 3 or 4 times and eventaully get it passed the point where you believe your original ball is, the original ball can still be played. When you have hit your provisional from the point beyond where your original ball is, then it becomes lost.

For a baldie, you love splitting hairs

 

[Fyldewhite]

It does make sense when you think about it. The provisional ball rule is only there to save time and avoid having to walk back if it turns out the ball is lost. It therefore follows that if you hit the ball 150 yards into some bushes then duff the provisional 10 yards, having to go forward to look for the original then back to the provisional if the original were lost really defeats the object of playing a provisional in the first place.

 

[bobmac]

Almost.
If you hit your provisional ball 3 or 4 times and eventaully get it passed the point where you believe your original ball is, the original ball can still be played. When you have hit your provisional from the point beyond where your original ball is, then it becomes lost.

For a baldie, you love splitting hairs

Sorry
I was typing while everyone was cutting and pasting