Friday, July 18, 2014

Ask Linda #882-Original ball hits provisional ball

Hello Linda.

This is an unusual situation.

One of my playing partners has driven off and is not sure where his ball has finished, so he decides to play a provisional ball and notifies the group accordingly.

The provisional is hit, in sight and in play.

When we look for his original ball we find it and it is in play. He can only hit out of some trees sideways. However when he does this he hits his provisional ball.

 As we see it, if when you play your ball it strikes you or any of your equipment it is a penalty. [If a ball struck by you is deflected or stopped by you, your partner, your caddies or your equipment, you incur a penalty of one stroke and play the ball as it lies (Rule 19-2)].

The player argues that once he has found his original ball and it is in play he says that his provisional ball is no longer in play and therefore hitting it does not incur him a penalty.

My point is that the provisional ball is still part of his equipment and that had he left his bag in the spot where the provisional was and had hit his bag he would incur the penalty.

Can you please let me have your decision on this rather unusual situation? 
Many thanks,
Lou from Spain

Dear Lou,

As soon as a player finds his original ball, the provisional must be abandoned [Rule 27-2c]. An abandoned ball is no longer part of a player’s equipment, so there is no penalty if the player’s original ball strikes his provisional ball. The ball must be played as it lies [Decision 19-5/5].

Linda
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