water hazard or OB?

[ohio golfer]

Let's imagine you're playing a hole with OB to the right and a creek running across the fairway directly in front of you.

Your tee shot lands in the water (bounce, fly, rolls, doesn't matter).

You walk up to the creek and take a quick look for your ball, finding there is a very shallow stream of water that flows from your left to your right.

You spot a fresh ball in the water off to the right and use your buddy's retriever ( because yours is being re-gripped ) to scoop it out. Checking it out, you realize that it is indeed the ball you just hit.

You prepare to take your drop where you estimate your ball entered the hazard when your opponent says, "head back to the tee box, your ball is out of bounds."

Astonished you respond, "what are you talking about? This is clearly staked as a water hazard!"

He replies, "but the ball followed the current of the stream and ended up OB", pointing out the white stakes before and after the hazard and showing that your ball ended up to the right of those stakes.

What do you do?

[phillyk]

I've never heard this situation, but I believe that because the ball's first hazard it entered was water, you play it as a water hazard, regardless if the current may have picked it up and moved it OB.  I don't really know, but that'd be my best guess.

[Zeph]

I follow the rules and hit a new ball off the tee box.

Quote: usga.com

26-1/7 Ball Moved Out of Bounds by Flow of Water in Water Hazard

Q. The flow of water in a water hazard carries a ball out of bounds. May the player invoke Rule 26-1?

A. No. Since the ball lies out of bounds, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1. Water is not an outside agency — see Definition of "Outside Agency" — and thus the ball would not be replaced under Rule 18-1.

In a situation where it is likely that a ball will be carried out of bounds by the flow of water in a water hazard, it is suggested that a screen be installed to prevent such an occurrence.

[Double Bogey]

EDIT:  Move along nothing to see here :)

[phillyk]

Interesting, cool.  Thanks for the information.

[B-Con]

I follow the rules and hit a new ball off the tee box.

My first reaction to that rule was shock. I thought, "Once a ball has entered water in a hazard, who cares what happens to it? It's dead, you drop a new ball, and keep playing. Why care about what happens to the ball after it's dead?" Then I realized that the ball isn't dead, you still have the option of playing it. So it makes sense that so long as the ball is playable you should have to respect it's location, including if it gets moved OB by a non-outside agency. If I'd encountered that ruling in person, I definitely would've gotten it wrong.