Eracer
No more triple bogies!!
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2005
- Messages
- 12,405
- Reaction score
- 8
- Points
- 188
I hit a drive that might have gone out of bounds. I hit a provisional ball into the fairway, well past the original ball.
When I got to where I thought the first ball may have gone out, I found it in bounds, but unplayable.
I declared the first ball unplayable, and put the second (provisional) ball in play, under stroke and distance penalty.
My playing partner told me that I needed to abandon the provisional ball and continue on according to the rules for playing a ball declared unplayable.
My contention was that I had already taken a stroke and distance penalty, and was right to play the provisional ball.
I looked it up, and am now quite confused (no surprise there...)
From this is sounds like the player has the option to take a stroke and distance penalty at any time.
27-1a. Proceeding Under Stroke and Distance</B>
At any time, a player may, under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5), i.e., proceed under penalty of stroke and distance.
Except as otherwise provided in the Rules, if a player makes a stroke at a ball from the spot at which the original ball was last played, he is deemed to have proceeded under penalty of stroke and distance.
And here it sounds like you can abandon any ball simply by continuing to play the provsional ball:
27-2b. 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).
But then it says this (and that last paragraph makes absolutely no sense to me...)
27-2c. If the original ball is neither lost nor out of bounds, the player must abandon the provisional ball and continue playing the original ball.
If he makes any further strokes at the provisional ball, he is playing a wrong ball and the provisions of Rule 15-3 apply.
Note: If a player plays a provisional ball under Rule 27-2a, the strokes made after this Rule has been invoked with a provisional ball subsequently abandoned under Rule 27-2c and penalty strokes incurred solely by playing that ball are disregarded.
What say you, rules gurus?
When I got to where I thought the first ball may have gone out, I found it in bounds, but unplayable.
I declared the first ball unplayable, and put the second (provisional) ball in play, under stroke and distance penalty.
My playing partner told me that I needed to abandon the provisional ball and continue on according to the rules for playing a ball declared unplayable.
My contention was that I had already taken a stroke and distance penalty, and was right to play the provisional ball.
I looked it up, and am now quite confused (no surprise there...)
From this is sounds like the player has the option to take a stroke and distance penalty at any time.
27-1a. Proceeding Under Stroke and Distance</B>
At any time, a player may, under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5), i.e., proceed under penalty of stroke and distance.
Except as otherwise provided in the Rules, if a player makes a stroke at a ball from the spot at which the original ball was last played, he is deemed to have proceeded under penalty of stroke and distance.
And here it sounds like you can abandon any ball simply by continuing to play the provsional ball:
27-2b. 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).
But then it says this (and that last paragraph makes absolutely no sense to me...)
27-2c. If the original ball is neither lost nor out of bounds, the player must abandon the provisional ball and continue playing the original ball.
If he makes any further strokes at the provisional ball, he is playing a wrong ball and the provisions of Rule 15-3 apply.
Note: If a player plays a provisional ball under Rule 27-2a, the strokes made after this Rule has been invoked with a provisional ball subsequently abandoned under Rule 27-2c and penalty strokes incurred solely by playing that ball are disregarded.
What say you, rules gurus?