The biggest challenge in handling rulings in amateur events is often times determining the facts. In many cases, players and witnesses will use terms that mean one thing to the lay person, but have a different meaning in the definitions in the rules of golf.
Here is an interesting situation that occurred in a college tournament recently. Notice that what is presented below is testimony by the protagonists. Your job is to interpret the statement and make the correct ruling.
During a stroke play collegiate tournament, Player T comes to an official with an incident that occurred several holes before. Due to the complexity of the incident, the referee elects to review the incident with Player T's coach in the scoring area prior to scorecards being signed.
The coach described the incident: "Player T's tee shot went into the desert to the right of the fairway. She found a ball that she believed was her ball near a burrowing animal hole. She lifted and dropped the ball to take relief. She played the ball, and as Player T walked toward the putting green she saw her ball that she played from the tee and realized she had played a wrong ball. Her ball played from the tee was in another burrowing animal hole so she lifted and dropped the ball and completed the hole with it."
"She played a wrong ball. She didn't mean to play a wrong ball."
Discussions with the coach were challenging. What is your ruling and logic?
Here is an interesting situation that occurred in a college tournament recently. Notice that what is presented below is testimony by the protagonists. Your job is to interpret the statement and make the correct ruling.
During a stroke play collegiate tournament, Player T comes to an official with an incident that occurred several holes before. Due to the complexity of the incident, the referee elects to review the incident with Player T's coach in the scoring area prior to scorecards being signed.
The coach described the incident: "Player T's tee shot went into the desert to the right of the fairway. She found a ball that she believed was her ball near a burrowing animal hole. She lifted and dropped the ball to take relief. She played the ball, and as Player T walked toward the putting green she saw her ball that she played from the tee and realized she had played a wrong ball. Her ball played from the tee was in another burrowing animal hole so she lifted and dropped the ball and completed the hole with it."
"She played a wrong ball. She didn't mean to play a wrong ball."
Discussions with the coach were challenging. What is your ruling and logic?