rulespin
by Paul Kruger
lost it on the course?
8
Paul Kruger is a PGA professional at The Landings
Club in Savannah, Georgia.
In this
article,
we
examine
the
second
point in the
Definition
of
“Lost
Ball” which
pertains
to
the playing of
a provisional
ball: “A ball
is
deemed
“lost” if ...
the
player
has made a
stroke at a
p rov i s i o n a l
ball from the
place where
the original
ball is likely to
be or from a
point nearer
the hole than that place....”
Thus, there is a geographical
limit on how far you
may continue playing a
provisional ball before your
original ball becomes lost.
On this geographical limit,
further exploration within
the Rules and Decisions
leads to the discovery of the
following clarifications:
• Rule 27-2b [Provisional
Ball: When Provisional
Ball Becomes Ball in Play]
confirms the geographical
limit on playing a provisional
ball, stating: “The player
may play a provisional ball
until he reaches the place
where the original ball is
likely to be. If he makes a
stroke with the provisional
ball from the place where
the original ball is likely to
be or from a point nearer
the hole than that place, the
original ball is lost and the
provisional ball becomes the
ball in play under penalty
of stroke and distance (Rule
27-1).”
• Once you play a
provisional ball from the
place where the original
ball is likely to be or from a
point nearer the hole than
that place, the original ball
is lost and the provisional
ball is in play. If you
subsequently find, and then
play, your original ball, you
will have played a wrong
ball, incurring the penalty
prescribed in Rule 15-3
[Wrong Ball]. See Decision
27-2b/5 [Original Ball
Played After Provisional
Ball Played from Point
Nearer Hole Than Original
Ball Likely to Be].
• If you see your
original ball, you should
determine whether or
not it is in bounds bef