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Is this accurate? I always thought that you had to look for your first ball right away, have 5 minutes to find it when you get to the spot. Determine wether it is lost if so then play from where your Provisional ball is. But, once the decision to hit your next shot from the Provisional spot is made it is a done deal.

Also have a question about how technically this situation should be scored? My buddy (with a soda on the line) is hitting 2 from the fairway (on a par 5 hits a 3 wood) he flies it over the back of the green. We decide that it might be "out of bounds" he hits a provisional same place (he is at least consistent) decides to go look for them before hitting a 2nd provisional. We look down the line he hit there is very deep 3 feet high rough in bounds, very thin rough out of bounds. It is clear that both balls are "in Bounds" but lost. He goes back and hits again,(5 wood) does the first provisional count if it was hit under an "out of bounds" and the ball was later determined lost?

Bob