2019 Rules Roundtable
Well 2019 is bringing a lot of new rules changes and I’m going to try to highlight some of them from time to time. We play by the rules to keep it fair for everyone as we are all competing each week for a spot in our championship.
Last year I had more questions about the Provisional Ball rule than anything else. Most of the questions came from a competitor’s playing partners. Trying to determine if they had played the provisional ball correctly. So, one thing you’ll notice that’s different this year is we don’t have an exception for the Provisional Ball Rule in our “Metro Seniors rules exceptions”. The USGA plays the Provisional Ball Rule with a stroke and distance penalty and can only be played with the parameters described below in the USDA rule.
The Metro Seniors removed our exception this year to try and clear up some confusion.
We took away the distance penalty for a Lost or Out of Bounds shot a couple years ago. When a ball is determined lost or out of bounds, it may be dropped within 2 club lengths (your driver) from where it went out or is determined lost, no closer to the hole. Since Metro Seniors has dropped the distance penalty it has also eliminated your need to go back to play your next shot. Your only options are to assess a 1 stroke penalty and play from within your 2 club drop area or assess a 1 stroke penalty and play your next shot from the same place, before moving forward to search.
In my opinion with the metro seniors removing the distance penalty it is rarely to your advantage to play a provisional ball. There are some exceptions that can only be determined on the course during play. Please familiarize yourself with the USGA rule, so you can use this rule to your advantage by making an informed decision on the course.
A provisional ball may still be played according to the USGA rule 27-1 & 27-2.
Author: Gary Brown
27-1. Stroke and Distance; Ball Out of Bounds; Ball Not Found Within Three Minutes
a. Proceeding Under Stroke and Distance
At any time, a player may, under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5), i.e., proceed under penalty of stroke and distance.
Except as otherwise provided in the Rules, if a player makes a stroke at a ball from the spot at which the original ball was last played, he is deemed to have proceeded under penalty of stroke and distance.
b. Ball Out of Bounds
If a ball is out of bounds, 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).
c. Ball Not Found Within Three Minutes
If a ball is lost as a result of not being found or identified as his by the player within three 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).
Exception: If it is known or virtually certain that the original ball, that has not been found, has been moved by an outside agency (Rule 18-1), is in an obstruction (Rule 24-3), is in an abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1) or is in a water hazard (Rule 26-1), the player may proceed under the applicable Rule.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 27-1:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.
27-2. Provisional Ball
a. Procedure
If a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds, to save time the player may play another ball provisionally in accordance with Rule 27-1. The player must:
announce to his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play that he intends to play a provisional ball; and
play the provisional ball before he or his partner goes forward to search for the original ball.
If a player fails to meet the above requirements prior to playing another ball, that ball is not a provisional ball and becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1); the original ball is lost.
So, would this scenario be correct?
A player’s tee shot looks to be OB. A provisional ball is hit. The original ball is OB, so the provisional MUST be played and the player will be hitting his 4th shot.
If no provisional is played and the ball is OB, the player drops (from knee height now) within 2 club lengths of the point of entry, no closer to the hole, hitting his/her 3rd shot.