Wrong ball played - lateral hazard

[priorlad]

A fellow competitor playing in our Polar Bear tournament on Saturday, pulled his tee shot left into a lateral water hazard. He arrived at the scene first and indicated to us that he found his ball. He took the ball from the hazard, dropped within two club lengths of the presumed point of entry and hit the ball up the fairway. When he arrived at the ball, he discovered that it wasn't his ball. He returned to the lateral water hazard, dropped another ball at presumed point of entry and hit it up the fairway. He then moved along the edge of the lateral hazard, and discovered his original ball sitting in the hazard about 15 yards further up.

We had absolutely no idea how to proceed at this point, or what his options, or score should be.

He continued play with the 2nd dropped ball, and scored a 9. 1 for original tee shot, 1 for original drop, 2 for playing wrong ball, 1 for next dropped ball, 1 for next shot, 1 for next shot and then 2 putts.

How should he have proceeded, and what would his score have been?

Thank you.

[justsomeguy]

A fellow competitor playing in our Polar Bear tournament on Saturday, pulled his tee shot left into a lateral water hazard. He arrived at the scene first and indicated to us that he found his ball. He took the ball from the hazard, dropped within two club lengths of the presumed point of entry and hit the ball up the fairway.

Up to this point, I believe he has done nothing wrong. He does not have to find the exact location of his ball in a water hazard, as long as it is known and virtually certain to be there. He is allowed to put a substitute ball in play at this point, which could include a ball he found on the course. He made an honest judgment of where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard which later turned out to be incorrect, but under Decision 26-1/17 he would not be penalized for that (the circumstances described in 26-1/16 are similar to those above):

26-1/17 Point Where Ball Last Crossed Margin of Lateral Water Hazard Determined and Ball Dropped and Played; Point Then Proves to Be Wrong Point
Q. In the circumstances described in Decision 26-1/16, what is the ruling if A, having dropped a ball in a wrong place, plays it before his error is discovered?
A. A must continue play with the ball played from a wrong place, without penalty. Applying a penalty under Rule 26-1 for playing from a wrong place (see Rule 20-7) is not appropriate. Otherwise, a competitor would risk incurring a penalty every time he makes an honest judgment as to the point where his ball last crosses a water hazard margin and that judgment subsequently proves incorrect.

When he arrived at the ball, he discovered that it wasn't his ball. He returned to the lateral water hazard, dropped another ball at presumed point of entry and hit it up the fairway.

This is where I believe he made his mistake, as he should have continued playing the "original" ball as per the decision above. This would have been a good time to invoke Rule 3-3 and play both balls. Instead, he has NOW played from a wrong place.

He then moved along the edge of the lateral hazard, and discovered his original ball sitting in the hazard about 15 yards further up.

We had absolutely no idea how to proceed at this point, or what his options, or score should be.

He continued play with the 2nd dropped ball, and scored a 9. 1 for original tee shot, 1 for original drop, 2 for playing wrong ball, 1 for next dropped ball, 1 for next shot, 1 for next shot and then 2 putts.

How should he have proceeded, and what would his score have been?

I have his score as still being a 9: 1 for original tee shot, 1 for original drop, 1 for shot after original drop, 2 for playing from a wrong place, 1 for next shot, 1 for next shot and then 2 putts.

[Kiwi battler]

What about if the 2nd ball was put into play under stroke and distance

[AAA]

No problem. A player may play a ball under S&D at any time (with a penalty of course). This is now his ball in play. His original is now lost by definition.
As jsg says, his problems all arise when he chose to play a third ball.

[Kiwi battler]

The 2nd ball was a substitute ball .........the 3rd ball could have been played under stroke and distance ...so 1 penalty shot .......rather than a wrong place or ball penalty of 2 shots

So maybe he shot an 8 ?

[sillywilly]

hmmm, in match play if you play the wrong ball and then realize it and go back and play your own ball (maybe after playing the wrong ball).. is there any penalty?

[AAA]

hmmm, in match play if you play the wrong ball and then realize it and go back and play your own ball (maybe after playing the wrong ball).. is there any penalty?

As soon as you play a wrong ball you lose the hole.
But in the original post the ball used (ie the one picked out of the water) was not a wrong ball

[justsomeguy]

The 2nd ball was a substitute ball .........the 3rd ball could have been played under stroke and distance ...so 1 penalty shot .......rather than a wrong place or ball penalty of 2 shots

So maybe he shot an 8 ?

Since the 2nd ball was hit "up the fairway", I'm presuming that it was not lost, OB or in a water hazard nor was it declared unplayable.