|
Rules
by Gus Montano, AJGA
director of education
Welcome
to Rules 101! This page will give you a chance to test your
Rules knowledge and bone-up on the need-to-know Rules of Golf.
Rule 27: Ball Lost or Out of Bounds, Provisional Ball
Because the AJGA puts a large emphasis
on pace of play, playing provisional golf balls is an important
part of playing under time par. To review, a "provisional
ball" is a ball played under rule 27-2 for a ball which
may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out
of bounds.
Today, let's deal with decision concerning a provisional:
Decision 27-1c/2, Original Ball Found; Player Wishes
to Ignore it and Continue Play with Provisional Ball
It is always important to show everyone in your
group how you mark your golf ball. This way, if
you hit a provisional, you and the members of
your group can differentiate between your original
and provsional. |
|
Q:
Before Canon Cup, I had the chance to play at Conway Farms
in Chicago. I hit the ball over a par-3 and thought for sure
it would be lost. I hit a provisional and flagged it within
a foot. I just decided to go tap in for bogey and cut my losses.
Before I could play my provisional, Matt Cuccaro, the East
Squad captain, was set on winning and somehow went and found
my orginal ball.
What was my correct course of action?
A: Matt, who is well-versed in the Rules of golf, explained
to me that I needed to confirm that the ball he found was
actually mine. After I confirmed this, I had the option to
play the original ball or proceed under my options for an
unplayable ball. I had to abandon my provisional and hack
away at my orginal. I took a seven. Thanks, Matt.
***Correction, August 14, 2002***
This ruling was edited due to an unclear part of the scenario.
The reason Gus had to play his original ball was due to Matt
finding his original ball before the provisional was put into
play.
If
provisionals are still a mystery to you, or you have any other
Rules questions, consult your USGA Rules book, or email Gus
Montano, AJGA director of education, at gmontano@ajga.org.
|
