Golfer must play found ball

Q. Last week when playing, I hit my ball deep into an area of thick bushes. Thinking my ball could be lost, I hit a provisional ball long and straight down the middle of the fairway. I decided I didn't want to look for my original ball and walked forward to play my provisional ball. Before I could hit the provisional ball, my fellow competitor saw a ball in the bushes and said he thought it was my original ball. He then informed me that he thought I had to at least go look at the ball he had found before playing my provisional or I could incur a penalty. Was he right? I didn't want to play the ball in the bushes if it was mine. Couldn't I just go play the provisional one? -- Lon Hanes

A. No. A player must inspect a ball that has been found and, if it is his original ball, he must continue play with it (or proceed under the unplayable ball rule). The provisional ball must be abandoned.

Q. I hit my tee shot into a deep canyon that I didn't want to play from. I immediately deemed it unplayable and played another ball from the tee under the stroke and distance option of Rule 28. My friend said I had to find my ball to deem it unplayable. Was he right? -- Tom Smythe

A. No, he was not. A player may proceed under the stroke-and-distance option (Rule 28a) without finding his ball. If he was going to proceed under Rule 28b or 28c these options would require reference to where the ball lay. He would have to find and identify his ball in order to proceed under either of those options.

Q. I know I may not take an unplayable lie in a water hazard, but if my ball lies in the rough "through the green" can I take an unplayable lie and drop my ball into a water hazard? -- Judi Stern

A. Yes, if your ball lies "through the green" you may take an unplayable lie under Rule 28b or 28c and drop the ball in a water hazard. I hope it's a dry area of the water hazard and not into the actual water.

Q. I was taking a drop from ground under repair and my ball rolled closer to the hole. I dropped the ball again a second time and it did the same thing. I then placed the ball where it hit the ground on the second drop. My friend said I should have dropped the ball again and then placed it where it hit the ground on the third drop. Who was right? -- Mike McGann

A. You were. You dropped twice and then placed the ball where it hit the ground on the second drop. If you would have dropped the ball a third time and played it, you would have incurred a two-stroke penalty under Rule 20-2c.

Sue May is a U.S. Open rules official, a member of the USGA Senior Women's committee and tournament director of the Women's Trans National Championship. Address your rules questions to suemay@cox.net.