When is a ball in play - when it's the wrong ball?!

[AmandaJR]

Played today and FC sliced drive on the 16th towards the hazard. We had a hunt and found what we thought was her ball in a bramble bush. She deliberated and decided to take a penalty drop so measured the 2 club lengths and dropped it. She then addressed it and realised it wasn't her ball...we recommenced our search and found it in the middle of the fairway further down (must have bounced off a friendly tree).

So was she ok to continue with her original ball and no penalty as she hadn't hit the wrong ball? Or does dropping it make it in play and therefore the wrong ball played?!

 

[Kellfire]

Sounds like five minutes would have long passed given that series of events...

 

[AmandaJR]

Sounds like five minutes would have long passed given that series of events...

Marginal I'd say, though we weren't timing. Couple of minutes initial search, couple for the drop and quite quickly found the correct ball...

 

[sev112]

I think she has played a wrong ball by dropping it, so she needs to add the relevant penalty

 

[guest100718]

I think she has played a wrong ball by dropping it, so she needs to add the relevant penalty

Yeah ide agree as she should could and should have identified before the drop.

 

[Foxholer]

It was never the ball in play, so no penalty - until you make a stroke at it.

 

[Ian_S]

It was never the ball in play, so no penalty - until you make a stroke at it.

I think she has played a wrong ball by dropping it, so she needs to add the relevant penalty

Clear as mud then :thup:

 

[rulefan]

See Decision 15/13

15/13

Stray Ball Dropped Under Unplayable Ball Rule But Not Played

Q.A player finds a ball he believes is his original ball, deems it unplayable and drops it under Rule 28b or 28c. He then discovers that the ball is not his but is, in fact, a stray ball. What is the ruling?
A.When the player dropped the stray ball, it became a substituted ball. However, the player was not entitled to proceed under Rule 28b or 28c without finding the original ball. Since a stroke has not been made with the substituted ball, the player is entitled to correct his error under Rule 20-6 by abandoning the substituted ball and resuming search for the original ball. If the player's ball is lost, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1.

 

[palindromicbob]

Sounds like five minutes would have long passed given that series of events...

The five minutes is based on time searching. If a ball thought to be the one in question is found the timer stops. If identified as not being the correct ball then the clock starts again when searching begins.

 

[Foxholer]

See Decision 15/13

15/13

Stray Ball Dropped Under Unplayable Ball Rule But Not Played

Q.A player finds a ball he believes is his original ball, deems it unplayable and drops it under Rule 28b or 28c. He then discovers that the ball is not his but is, in fact, a stray ball. What is the ruling?
A.When the player dropped the stray ball, it became a substituted ball. However, the player was not entitled to proceed under Rule 28b or 28c without finding the original ball. Since a stroke has not been made with the substituted ball, the player is entitled to correct his error under Rule 20-6 by abandoning the substituted ball and resuming search for the original ball. If the player's ball is lost, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1.

Is exactly the circumstances - and the correct process/states.

My post was right re 'no penalty' but incorrect to state 'never in play' as by short circuiting the 'process' it missed the 'substituted ball' state