Hello Linda - can you help with this?
Rule 27
Player A hits tee shot into fairway
Player B hits tee shot towards OB on right side of fairway -
no one is sure that tee ball is OB
Player C hits tee shot into fairway
Player B announces he will hit a provisional ball and does
so. This time, it is without a doubt by anyone that the provisional ball is OB.
It cleared the tree line, the houses and is likely two city blocks.
Player B announces he will hit another provisional ball and
does so. This time, the ball is in the fairway and playable. As we move up the
fairway, the first ball from the tee box by Player B is found to be in bounds
and playable. He then plays that ball - laying one and hitting two. The 2nd
provisional ball is picked up and we finish out the hole. 1st provisional ball
is long gone.
I question this and am told that this is allowed. I read
Rule 27 as provisional BALL not BALLS. My take on this is that the first ball
from tee box is not in play, as the second provisional ball would take it out
of play. As we discuss it - I am concerned that a player could use this tactic
as a way to get in some practice swings on the 1st tee to warm up. Hit a ball
towards OB, then pound provisional balls directly OB until warm and then put
one in the fairway. If the first ball is found, all is good. Player is warmed
up and laying one. If first ball is OB, still good. Player warmed up and laying
3.
Any help?
Lou from Uruguay
Dear Lou,
When a player hits a provisional ball that may be out of
bounds, he is entitled (and encouraged) to hit a second provisional ball. He may
continue hitting provisional balls until one of them is clearly on the course
[Rule 27-2a, Note].
Player B has proceeded correctly. His first ball may be out
of bounds, so he hits a provisional ball. The provisional is clearly out of
bounds, so he hits a second provisional ball. The second provisional lands in
the fairway, so he has completed his provisional obligations. If he finds the
original ball in bounds (which he did), he continues with that ball, incurring
no penalties.
Subsequent provisional balls do not render the original ball out of play. If this player had not
found his original ball, the second provisional would be his ball in play,
since the first provisional landed out of bounds. The player would lie 5.
The example you use of a player pounding a number of
provisional balls out of bounds would mean that if the player didn’t find his
original, the provisional that landed in the fairway would lie 5, 7, 9, or
more, and not 3 as you suggest.
The provisional ball Rule does not anticipate that the
player will use the tee as a driving range. If that is the case, the player may
be guilty of undue delay, for which the penalty is two strokes/loss of hole
[Rule 6-7].
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
