What is the ruling on a lost ball?
So I was playing in my first tournament on a course I have never played before -
404 yard slight dogleg left. Hit 3 wood flush and pulled it alittle left.
I didn't see it land, but one of my playing partners say it is just over the left fairway bunker. I proceed to start looking for it on the left rough (and being last to hit) I thought I had some time. I couldn;t find it and one of my playing partners ask the marshall to drive my back to rehit, but seconds later another partners tells me it's over to the right - on the fairway, way past the bunker! As I approach the original ball one of the playing partners say that it is considered a lost ball as it has been over 3 mins. I explain to them that I not sure if it's been over 3 minutes as I was last to hit and one of my playing partners was assured it was around the bunker. Anyways I play on and they say we will take this up at the clubhouse.
I just found out I was DQ, and nothing was brought out to my attention at the end. Just an internet posting I was DQ. How do you know it was 3 minutes and what is your take on this? I wasn't 'in the running' to win but just want to learn from this.