Final answer:
The correct ruling under the Rules of Golf is that the player must play the original ball found in the penalty area or take penalty area relief under Rule 17.1d, provided it was found within three minutes of starting the search.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a player declares their original golf ball lost and tees another ball in the teeing area, but the original ball is then found in a penalty area within the three-minute search time limit, the original ball is still in play. According to the Rules of Golf, if a ball is found in the penalty area within three minutes of starting the search, it is not lost and the player has options. The player must either play the original ball as it lies in the penalty area or take penalty area relief under Rule 17.1d. Thus, the correct ruling is 2) The player must play the original ball or take relief under the penalty area relief Rule (17.1d).
The ruling in this situation is that the player must play the original ball or take relief under the penalty area relief Rule (17.1d).
In this scenario, the player initially declared the ball lost and teed another ball in the teeing area. However, the original ball was then found in a penalty area within three minutes of the search beginning. According to Rule 7.4, a ball is considered lost if not found within three minutes of the search beginning. Since the original ball was found within this time frame, the player has the option to play the original ball or take relief under the penalty area relief Rule 17.1d.
It is important to note that if the player had taken a stroke with the teed ball, they would be playing a wrong ball, resulting in a loss of hole penalty in match play or a two-stroke penalty in stroke play.