Jon Rahm plays provisional ball on 18th hole before winning Masters
Jon Rahm won the 87th Masters Tournament by four strokes, but not before an adventurous and — and for some TV viewers of the tradition unlike any other — confusing 18th and final hole at Augusta National on Sunday.
Rahm managed to preserve a four-stroke lead, shooting a final-round 3-under 69, for his first Masters triumph. He salvaged par on the final hole after hitting his tee shot into the rough on the left side of the fairway. Before Rahm's ball could be found, he hit a second ball — a provisional ball — right down the middle of the fairway. To Rahm's relief, the ball from his first tee shot was located and the provisional tee shot was abandoned. Rahm rebounded from the episode to par the final hole for his first Masters win.
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What is a provisional ball?
Under USGA Rule 18, a provisional ball is an additional ball played for a lost ball hit in a water hazard or out of bounds. Playing a provisional ball allows players to re-hit without having to walk back to the original spot of the ball if it is lost or out-of-bounds.
A player must announce they are playing a provisional ball before playing another ball or playing again.
A provisional ball must be abandoned when the original ball is found on the course outside a penalty area — which was the case for Rahm's initial 18th hole tee shot — before the end of a three-minute search time. When the original ball is found in a penalty area, a player must either play the original ball as it lies or take a penalty.
The provisional ball comes with a one-stroke penalty when playing the ball from where the previous stroke was made.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jon Rahm plays provisional ball on final hole of Masters win
