The Coaches Corner
By EGF National Team Coach: Jason Forggatt
"5 minutes or what seems like 15 minutes"
Q:
Whilst playing recently in a competition we all stood there on tee box waiting for the group in front while they were searching for a lost ball. The player had not played a provisional ball and clearly exceeded the "five-minute allowance" and continued to search for the ball. When he found the lost ball, he continued to play it. What is the ruling?
A:
The ball was lost and therefore out of play when the five-minute period for search expired - see Definitions of "Ball in Play" and "Lost Ball." When the player played a stroke with a ball out of play, he played the wrong ball - see Definition of "Wrong Ball" - and incurred a penalty or loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play - Rule 15-4. In stroke play, he was disqualified if he did not correct the error by proceeding under Rule 27-1 before playing from the next tee - Rule 15-3b.
If you have any questions or want to have your ruling or tip in next months edition contact Coach Jason at [email protected]