Question: Follow up to a previous question answered. Player A hits his provisional ball prior to finding his original ball, laying 1 before 3 minutes of search time have elapsed. “Player A hits a ball into a wooded area and correctly plays a provisional into the fairway. After 1 minute of search, he says, “That ball is lost, I am playing my provisional”. As he is walking towards the provisional, he finds the original ball in the fairway and under 3 minutes. Which ball is in play?”
Since a ball cannot be declared lost and if the provisional ball is not played from a spot closer to the hole than where the original ball is, the original remains in play with no penalties.
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