What's th ruling for this?

[karlcole]

Playing in the medal yesterday and my pp hit his drive into the rough, heads over to it and finds the same ball different markings long story short someone heading up the opposit hole has mistakenly played his ball ( or so we think) anyone know what he should of done from here?

 

[ManinBlack]

Rule 18-1 "Ball moved by outside agency" applies. If you know for sure or it is "virtually certain" that the ball has been moved by the fellow competitor it must be replaced. In this case you'd have to retrieve the original ball & identify it as yours, then replace it as near as possible to where it was moved from. Same rule applies if your ball is snatched by a seagull, squirrel, vagrant or any other outside agency.

 

[Spuddy]

Just to add to the reply above, if you are unable to confirm or be virtually certain that the ball has been played by someone else then you need to proceed as if the ball is lost.

 

[backwoodsman]

Just to add to the reply above, if you are unable to confirm or be virtually certain that the ball has been played by someone else then you need to proceed as if the ball is lost.

This ^^^^.

The way the OP is phrased, it very much sounds like it is only an assumption that the players ball has been playec by someone else. So you can only proceed on the basis of it being a lost ball.

 

[Colin L]

Yes, indeed. It is not enough to "think" that someone has played your ball. To proceed on the basis that an outside agency has taken/moved your ball, it has be a matter of fact that it has done so. If it cannot be established as a fact, your ball must be treated as being lost as Spuddy has said.

By the way, if you know your ball has been moved by an OA, you do not necessarily have to retrieve that ball and replace it. If it is not "immediately recoverable", you may substitute another ball.

 

[karlcole]

So if we presume someone else has played it ie watched them play a shot from were his ball landed but had no proof he actually did play my pp ball we proceed under lost ball ruling and he gets a penalty shot for it?

thanks

 

[backwoodsman]

So if we presume someone else has played it ie watched them play a shot from were his ball landed but had no proof he actually did play my pp ball we proceed under lost ball ruling and he gets a penalty shot for it?

thanks

Correct - it may seem a bit harsh, that's the way it is. It could have been any old ball quite close to where the PP thinks his is.

 

[full_throttle]

So if we presume someone else has played it ie watched them play a shot from were his ball landed but had no proof he actually did play my pp ball we proceed under lost ball ruling and he gets a penalty shot for it?

thanks

alternatively, go and ask the guys in the other group if they have played the correct ball, takes only moments