Hi Linda,
Could you advise me on a situation which arose during a
friendly 4-ball (better ball) Match Play?
Playing the 18th hole and we were one down. Opposing
players hit the ball down the centre of the fairway. My partner did the same. As
we needed to win, and being confident of my partner’s ball, I chose to go for
the green. I hit my ball OB and reluctantly played 3 off the tee – not too
concerned as my partner should have been well placed.
When we arrived at the balls, our opponents declared their
balls as found. However after 5 minutes of searching my partner’s ball was
declared lost. I reluctantly played on.
We all hit our approach shots to the green, being so close
and me playing 3 off the tee we gave them the hole and lost on the day, only to
find as one of the players identified his ball on the green that he had played
the wrong ball. He had in fact played my partner’s ball and it was his ball
that was lost.
If I understand the rules correctly then the correct
enforcement of a penalty for the player concerned would be of little
consequence as we had lost the opportunity with me playing 3 off the tee. By
this time we had all the following groups queuing up behind us! Can you please
confirm what the exact ruling would be in this situation, had it been a
competitive match?
Lou from Spain
Dear Lou,
The player who hit your partner’s ball is disqualified from
the hole; his partner will continue playing [Rule 15-3a; Decision 27/6].
Your partner’s ball is deemed “lost,” since it has not been
found within five minutes [Definition of “Lost Ball”]. Your team loses the match when you concede to the player whose
score you assumed would be better than yours.
Nothing good ever happens when players fail to properly
identify a ball before hitting it. Should this same situation arise in the
future (three balls hit in the same general direction, only two found), I would
suggest that the player whose ball was not found ask the other two players to
make absolutely certain that the ball they are about to hit is theirs. Also,
keep in mind that there is nothing to stop him from checking the two balls
lying in the fairway during his five-minute search.
Linda
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