Regarding found balls on the course, may a caddie identify a found ball as belonging to his player?

Regarding found balls on the course, may a caddie identify a found ball as belonging to his player?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only if the ball is in a hazard
• D. Only if the player approves

Answer: (D)

Found balls must be identified by the player themselves (or with the player’s explicit permission for someone else to identify it). A caddie may help locate and point out a ball, but the final determination of ownership is up to the player. This ensures the right ball is treated as yours and avoids penalties from misidentification. So the caddie can assist, but only with the player’s approval can the found ball be identified as belonging to that player.

Found balls must be identified by the player themselves (or with the player’s explicit permission for someone else to identify it). A caddie may help locate and point out a ball, but the final determination of ownership is up to the player. This ensures the right ball is treated as yours and avoids penalties from misidentification. So the caddie can assist, but only with the player’s approval can the found ball be identified as belonging to that player.