The Rules
Identifying this ball in a tree may be difficult because it lacks a clear mark .
three ways , including by seeing the player ’ s identifying mark on the ball , but this does not apply if an identical ball with an identical identifying mark is also found in the same area .
Furthermore , a clarification ( 7.2 / 1 ) allows for a player to use binoculars or a range finder to confirm an identifying mark on a ball when it cannot be retrieved , like when it ’ s 20 feet high up in a giant tree .
Reed told DP World Tour Chief Referee Kevin Feeney that he had a specific identifying mark on his ball ( an arrow at the end of his line ) and that he was able to identify the ball through binoculars . Given that information , Feeney allowed Reed to drop a ball directly below where the original ball sat in the tree , taking a one-stroke penalty under the unplayable ball rule ( 19.2c ).
That rule states that a player may drop the original ball or another ball in a lateral relief area . The reference point for that relief area is the spot of the original ball . But when the ball lies above the ground , such as in a tree , the reference point is the spot directly below the ball on the ground .
The key fact in this situation was that Reed said he was able to clearly identify his ball . Had he not , he would have had to proceed under Rule 18.2 ( ball lost or out of bounds ) and take stroke-and-distance relief and head back to the tee for his third shot . He eventually made bogey on the hole after dropping below the tree .
There are some key things to take away from the Reed situation . Rule 7 allows the player to take reasonable actions to fairly search for a ball in play after each stroke , and it behooves the player to make that potential search easier . A good starting point is clearly marking your ball with unique and easy-to-see markings before putting it in play .
Another key phrase in the rule : Reasonable actions . The player may fairly search for the ball by taking reasonable actions to find and identify it , such as :
• Moving sand ( though the original lie must be re-created after the ball is identified in this instance ) and water , and
• Moving or bending grass , bushes , tree branches and other growing or attached natural objects , and also breaking such objects , but only if such breaking is a result of other reasonable actions taken to find or identify the ball . But be careful . Rule 7.1a also states that while there is no penalty under Rule 8.1a ( improving conditions affecting the stroke ) if the improvement results from a fair search , there are limits to what constitutes a fair search . A clarification to ( 7.1a / 1 ) notes actions that are unlikely to be part of a fair search , like :
• Taking an action to flatten areas of grass beyond what is reasonably necessary to walk through or search for the ball in the area where the ball is thought to lie ;
• Purposely removing any growing thing from the ground ; or
• Breaking a tree branch to allow easier access to the ball when it could have been reached without doing so .
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Considering the amount of thick , spongy Bermuda rough that can be found in Virginia , you ’ ll surely run into a situation where you ’ ll need to search for and identify your ball after a stroke . It ’ s on the player to proceed with caution to ensure he or she can proceed without penalty .
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