Only the OLD will understand this one.

[Indio]

Dan, Mike and Lyle walk down the fairway of a par 4 in search of their golf balls. Dan and Lyle find theirs but Mike cannot find his. After a 5 minute search, Mike walks back to the tee and hits a ball. When he walks up to the ball, he finds that it is his ORIGINAL ball. What is the ruling?

I am only guessing but I would say he can not play that ball and he has to find his 2nd ball or go back to the tee hitting 5. Had he hit a provisional in the first place, he would have been able to play the original since he found it and doesn't have to worry about finding the provisional.

[mpare]

Bob, I think that he cannot play the original ball, since it was deemed lost when it was not found within the 5 minutes allowed to find it. Rule 27 and the definition of a "lost ball" in Definitions section would govern this situation.

I am only guessing but I would say he can not play that ball and he has to find his 2nd ball or go back to the tee hitting 5. Had he hit a provisional in the first place, he would have been able to play the original since he found it and doesn't have to worry about finding the provisional.

[Indio]

Bob, I think that he cannot play the original ball, since it was deemed lost when it was not found within the 5 minutes allowed to find it. Rule 27 and the definition of a "lost ball" in Definitions section would govern this situation.

Mike, that is what I am trying to say but obviously not very well

He would only be able to play the original ball had he hit a provisional, which he did not.

[The Saint]

Rule 27-1 c..
c. Ball Not Found Within Five Minutes
If a ball is lost as a result of not being found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player's Side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it, the player must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5).