Question

In match play, a player's approach shot comes to rest on an elevated putting green. After arriving at the putting green, the player plays a ball he or she thinks is his or hers. Upon reaching the hole, the player finds the original ball in the hole together with the ball he or she just putted. What is the ruling?

1) The player has played a wrong ball and the error must be corrected.
2) The player completed the hole when the original ball was holed.
3) The player must replay the hole without penalty.

Answer 1

In match play, if a player mistakenly plays a different ball after their approach shot comes to rest on an elevated putting green, they have played a wrong ball and must correct the error. The penalty for playing the wrong ball is two strokes. (option 1)

Step-by-step explanation:

In match play, if a player's approach shot comes to rest on an elevated putting green and they mistakenly play a different ball, the ruling is that they have played a wrong ball and the error must be corrected. This means that the player must disregard the ball they just put in and continue playing with their original ball. The player will receive a penalty of two strokes for playing the wrong ball, as per the rules of golf.

Option 1 is the correct answer. The player's action constitutes playing the wrong ball, and according to the Rules of Golf, the player needs to rectify the mistake by continuing to play with the original ball. There may be penalties associated with playing the wrong ball, depending on the circumstances, but the primary focus is on correcting the error and maintaining the integrity of the game.