Provisional Ball(s)

[BC MIST]

From LS website, with variation.

Matt hits his tee shot approximately 225 yards into an area of trees off to the right. He smokes his provisional ball 275 yards but into an area of long grass on the other side of the hole. He plays a second provisional and it flies 250 yards down the middle of the fairway.

When he arrives at the second provisional, the player asks his caddie to search for the original ball. After a moment or so of watching the caddie search, he hits the second provisional ball and holes it. A few seconds later, the caddie finds the original ball.

What is the ruling?

[spackler]

Alright, this will be a good opportunity for me as a 2nd provisional is not exactly uncommon in my game.

I'm going to say by hitting the second provisional, which is past where the first ball landed, the first ball is essentially declared 'lost'. There is no penalty for hitting the provisional since the ball was not found before he hit it. I don't think you *must* search for 5 minutes, only you *may*. But I think he still may search for the first provisional, which is 25y past the second provisional. If he finds it, he is lying 3, if he can't find it he has holed out with a 6.

[Kiwi battler]

Original is "deemed" lost .....close enough tho

Now he doesnt have to search for his first provisional ....but if its found withen 5 mins by anyone , the player must identify it , and if his , play that ball

[BC MIST]

Original is "deemed" lost .....close enough tho

Now he doesnt have to search for his first provisional ....but if its found withen 5 mins by anyone , the player must identify it , and if his , play that ball

Why was the first PB hit? Answer is obvious.
Why was the second PB hit? Answer not so obvious.
If you understand my hint, does it make a difference as to how you would rule?

[Kiwi battler]

2nd provisional hit ? you mean off the tee ? or played to the green?

He hit his first provisional some 275yards into long grass .....He is entitled to play another provisional ....Damn sure I would have too

He is quite withen his rights to play the 2nd provisional to the green , it is past where he believes his original ball lies/maybe lost ....and is deemed lost as soon as he plays his 2nd provisional ...
The 2nd provisional ball is short of his first provisional , so the first can still be found and played

Id rule as already stated .....unless theres some obscure decision Ive not come across

[jvincent]

The key, I think, is that the second provisional is played in case the first provisional is lost.

So, while the player is OK in playing the second provisional, since he has not yet reached the location of the first provisional, he still has to deal with the situation of the original ball and first provisional.

Since the original ball is now found, both the first and second provisionals would need to be abandoned and he would have to play the original ball according to the rules.

[Kilroy]

I think we have a winner.

[BC MIST]

I think we have a winner.

We certainly do.

[BC MIST]

The key, I think, is that the second provisional is played in case the first provisional is lost.

So, while the player is OK in playing the second provisional, since he has not yet reached the location of the first provisional, he still has to deal with the situation of the original ball and first provisional.

Since the original ball is now found, both the first and second provisionals would need to be abandoned and he would have to play the original ball according to the rules.

Variation of the above:

Holes the second provisional. Does not look for nor does anyone find the original. At what point is the original deemed lost?

[jvincent]

If he makes a stroke at the first provisional the original ball is deemed lost.

I would also say that if he searches for the first provisional for 5 minutes and does not find it then the the original is also deemed lost.

[BC MIST]

(1) If he makes a stroke at the first provisional the original ball is deemed lost.

(2) I would also say that if he searches for the first provisional for 5 minutes and does not find it then the the original is also deemed lost.

(1) True. Since PB 1 is closer to the green than the OB, the OB is lost. However...

(2) A player is allowed 5 minutes to search for a ball before it is deemed lost. Since he was searching for the PB and not the OB, he would have 5 additional minutes to look for the OB. If the PB and the OB were in the same vicinity, then he would have 5 minutes total, (Decision 27/4) but because they were 25 yards apart in distance and the OB was in woods to the right, this decision would not likely apply.

Applicable to the scenario where PB 2 was holed, I found one other reason for the OB to be deemed lost.