Searching for ball/identifying

[3offTheTee]

This is slightly similar to SILH's post.

Par 4 18, fellow competitor medal Comp.and played his 2nd shot to green and hooked into a load of bushes/ trees.

Played provisional, 4th stroke and ended up 4 yards from Pin, almost certain 6 possibly 5.


Within 5 minutes 2 balls were noticed within the trees/ bushes BUT the ball he was playing had NOT been identified.

He does not know at this stage whether one of the balls is his.

May he state immediately that he does not wish to continue looking for the original ball?

 

[guest100718]

you don't have to look. but if a FC spots a ball and says it may be yours you're obliged to check it out . or run and putt out quickly..

 

[bladeplayer]

There is no obligation to look for first ball at all ..


if one of your playing partner insists on looking for it you cant really stop them tho , unless u go forward & play ur next shot with the provo

if it was a match you opponent could look for it up to 5 mins or again until u make your next stroke with provo from in front of where your original may lie ..

 

[bladeplayer]

you don't have to look. but if a FC spots a ball and says it may be yours you're obliged to check it out . or run and putt out quickly..

I didnt know that bit

 

[3offTheTee]

guest100718

Are you saying if a fellow competitor says the ball may be yours you MUST go and look but if YOU see a ball which MAY be yours you do not need to go and look?

 

[guest100718]

guest100718

Are you saying if a fellow competitor says the ball may be yours you MUST go and look but if YOU see a ball which MAY be yours you do not need to go and look?

you dont have to go and search for your ball and i'll tell my FCs not to look either, but if one of them does anyway and says theyve found it you must go and identify it either way.

 

[Colin L]

you dont have to go and search for your ball and i'll tell my FCs not to look either, but if one of them does anyway and says theyve found it you must go and identify it either way.

That's better than what you said previously. If any ball is seen in the area your original is likely to be by anyone you must check it out and, if it yours, it is in play. You can't go charging off to play your original to avoid checking .

 

[backwoodsman]

This is slightly similar to SILH's post.

Par 4 18, fellow competitor medal Comp.and played his 2nd shot to green and hooked into a load of bushes/ trees.

Played provisional, 4th stroke and ended up 4 yards from Pin, almost certain 6 possibly 5.


Within 5 minutes 2 balls were noticed within the trees/ bushes BUT the ball he was playing had NOT been identified.

He does not know at this stage whether one of the balls is his.

May he state immediately that he does not wish to continue looking for the original ball?

In a similar vein to SILHs thread - the balls in the bushes have been found. If either of them is actually the FCs ball, then the FCs ball has been found, even if you don't know it yet - and therefore it will still be in play.

Hence (if there is a reasonable possibility of it being the the ball in question) you are obliged to check it out. You can't "unfind" a ball just by ignoring it. If the FC wants to continue with the provisional he'll need to confirm neither ball is his original.

Edit. Damn: Beaten by Colin. Again.
.

 

[Dasit]

This a messy area that needs to be cleared up really


Actually gives an advantage to people playing with agreeable FCs. While people playing with others may find their FCs searching in the crap for 5 minutes.

 

[Imurg]

If anyone I'm playing with carves one into deep flag I'll always ask if they want to look for it.
If they say that they don't, then I won't.
And I'd expect the same courtesy of the roles were reversed.
But if they want to look for their ball then I'll oblige, find it in a completely unplayable lie and chuckle to myself while they're working out where to drop...😚😋

 

[chrisd]

This a messy area that needs to be cleared up really


Actually gives an advantage to people playing with agreeable FCs. While people playing with others may find their FCs searching in the crap for 5 minutes.

I've rarely (if ever) played with anyone who has insisted on searching for my ball when I've expressed a wish not to

 

[guest100718]

I've rarely (if ever) played with anyone who has insisted on searching for my ball when I've expressed a wish not to

me neither

 

[guest100718]

That's better than what you said previously. If any ball is seen in the area your original is likely to be by anyone you must check it out and, if it yours, it is in play. You can't go charging off to play your original to avoid checking .

Yes I meant that if you play your provisional from beyond where your original ball might be prior to anyone saying they may have found your ball.

 

[jim8flog]

There is no obligation to look for first ball at all ..


if one of your playing partner insists on looking for it you cant really stop them tho , unless u go forward & play ur next shot with the provo

if it was a match you opponent could look for it up to 5 mins or again until u make your next stroke with provo from in front of where your original may lie ..

Of course if they are further away from the hole than you then you cannot run up and knock the ball in the hole.

 

[doublebogey7]

Of course if they are further away from the hole than you then you cannot run up and knock the ball in the hole.

Yes you can. But you may, as the opponent, ask them to retake the shot. The provisional remains the ball in play.

 

[bladeplayer]

Of course if they are further away from the hole than you then you cannot run up and knock the ball in the hole.

..
He she can only ask you to replay the shot u just played as far as i know..

Apologies dont know what happened there , thought id sent reply earlier it never posted doublebogey7 has replied in mean time

 

[atticusfinch]

Famous case involving phil michelson.

His tee shot went into a canyon. He properly played a provisional that was excellent. As he approached the prov in the fairway he saw a marshal diligently looking for the original.. Phil and caddy tried to tell the marshal to stop looking but he did not hear them. He found the orig in 5 mins and phil was obligated to identify it, which he did. He was forced to continue with the orig which required declaring it unplayable with the only place to replay back on the tee. Then, you guessed it, the second shot went astray too and he finished the hole four over par, where it could have been only two or even one if he had played the provisional

IMHO tournament officials and volunteers should be instructed to not assist like that unless asked.

 

[Imurg]

Perfect example today
Fragger's carved one into the trees - a long way in.
Walking down I asked if he wanted us to look for it.
He pondered and then said Yeah.
I said that if we find it you have to play it.....
After a couple of minutes he calls off the search - on my way out I find his ball - right by a tree, completely unplayable.
A penalty drop and 4 hacks later he's blobbed the hole
His Provo was about 20 yards off the green and he could have at least had a point with it....
I'd have left the first ball where it was and not bothered looking for it.....

 

[guest100718]

Perfect example today
Fragger's carved one into the trees - a long way in.
Walking down I asked if he wanted us to look for it.
He pondered and then said Yeah.
I said that if we find it you have to play it.....
After a couple of minutes he calls off the search - on my way out I find his ball - right by a tree, completely unplayable.
A penalty drop and 4 hacks later he's blobbed the hole
His Provo was about 20 yards off the green and he could have at least had a point with it....
I'd have left the first ball where it was and not bothered looking for it.....

he didn't have to play it. but if he took stroke and distance we all know where that 2nd ball was going.....

 

[rulie]

he didn't have to play it. but if he took stroke and distance we all know where that 2nd ball was going.....

Pardon me? Once the original ball is found, the provisional ball must be abandoned. He had no choice but to proceed with the original ball.