In my last article I asked you a hard question and few of you got the answer right. Lets see again the events:
-1 Eddy hits his tee shot in the woods, he plays a second ball (provisional).
-2 He searches for 6 minutes and finds his original ball.
-3 He picks up the provisional ball and plays his original ball on the green.
-4 He makes 2 putts, reaches the next tee and tells his fellow-competitor that he made a 4.
-5 The co-competitor suggest that he goes back to the spot where he picked up the provisional.
-6 Eddy goes back, and puts back in play his provisional ball.
-7 He sends the provisional on the green and makes 2 putts
Before signing his scorecard, Eddy tells a rules official he completed a hole with 2 balls.
WHAT IS THE DECISION AND WHAT SCORE WILL EDDY HAVE ON THAT HOLE?
-A SEARCH EXCEEDING 5 MINUTES
A ball is lost when we search for it more than 5 minutes. In that case the provisional ball becomes the ball in play with a 1 stroke penalty (Stroke and distance).
-B WRONG BALL
When Eddy made a stroke on his original ball that was considered lost, he played on a wrong ball and the penalty is 2 strokes.
-C BALL AT REST MOVED
When Eddy picked up the provisional ball, he moved his ball in play and the penalty is 1 stroke.
-D CORRECTION OF THE ERROR – WRONG BALL
A player must always correct the error of playing a wrong ball. He must go back and play the right ball before his tee shot on the next hole. If he does not correct, the penalty is DISQUALIFICATION.
Eddy did the right thing in returning at the area where he picked up the ball in play. All strokes made with the wrong ball don’t count.
TOTAL: 5 STROKES + 4 STROKES PENALTY = 9
ANOTHER INTERESTING RULING
-1 Eddy sends his tee shot in the woods and decides to play a provisional ball, it goes in the middle of the fairway.
-2 Eddy finds his original ball in an unplayable position, he picks up the ball stating it is unplayable.
-3 Eddy goes and play the provisional.
-4 On the green he makes 2 putts but he wonders if he did everything the proper way?
Is the result of 6 ok? If not, what would be his options?