ok so remove the extra word "then".

The issue is that if you hit a provisional you have decided that you may not find the ball and that you are happy its not in the hazard, correct?

By my reading of the rule, you cannot hit a provisional in case the ball is in the hazard.

If you hit a provisional and then a spectator says "your first is in the hazard" then your provisional is not the ball in play, you are left to decide if you want to replay, or drop as discussed before.

However, if you get to where you think your ball is and its not there then the provisional is the ball in play.