Rules: provisional ball in hazard

[VolunteerGolfer]

Set up: blind tee shot down hill, trees left. I hit my tee shot and had a little more draw than I wanted. We heard contact but never saw the ball come out. I announced and played a provisional. This was also my first time playing this course and did not know the distance to the creek that crossed the fairway. The provisional went left, but as far as directionally would be in the fairway. As we approach the area we think the first ball went in, it obviously got a members bounce and was just in the left rough. My provisional however went through the fairway and into the creek/water hazard. Being as the first ball was found, there is no penalty for the hazard correct? I was not sure how to score this. I made par if no penalty.

[pittpanther]

  VolunteerGolfer said:

Being as the first ball was found, there is no penalty for the hazard correct?

Correct. No penalty.

[VolunteerGolfer]

Thanks, I wasn't sure.

[Fourputt]

  VolunteerGolfer said:

Thanks, I wasn't sure.

The provisional ball only becomes the ball in play if the original ball is lost through the green or out of bounds. Strokes made and penalties incurred with the provisional ball only count if it becomes the ball in play. Once the original ball is found it's as if you never played the other ball.

[iacas]

  VolunteerGolfer said:

Thanks, I wasn't sure.

No penalty is right.

But let's imagine you found your provisional but weren't sure if your first ball was in the hazard or not. Because you couldn't be "virtually certain" that the ball was in the hazard, you'd have to play the provisional as if the first ball was lost (or OB - same penalty of stroke and distance, and the only two reasons you can hit a provisional) and you'd be lying three with the provisional. Again, that's not what happened (you found both balls), but I wanted to say it because we get questions like that all the time too.

[VolunteerGolfer]

  iacas said:

No penalty is right.

So lets say I could not find the first ball. With the provisional in the water, after a drop I'd be laying what 5?

[Fourputt]

  VolunteerGolfer said:

So lets say I could not find the first ball. With the provisional in the water, after a drop I'd be laying what 5?

It would be 3rd stroke in the water, 4th stroke is the drop... you'd be hitting 5.

[VolunteerGolfer]

Ok, I guess I was thinking penalty then the drop. But the drop is the penalty stroke.