Rules question · Rule 18.3a · Expert
Played another ball without announcing it: is it a provisional?
Your tee shot might be out of bounds, and you announce a provisional ball. It goes in the same direction. Without saying anything, you play another ball, which lands on the fairway. Your original ball is indeed out of bounds. How do you continue?
Answer
With the third ball, your next stroke is your 6th
Each ball played from the same spot relates only to the one before it. The third ball, played without an announcement, replaces the provisional ball under stroke and distance, wherever the provisional ball lies. Count: tee shot, provisional ball with a penalty stroke, third ball with a penalty stroke, so five strokes.
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