2008 #7 Ball in Bunker

The Scene:
Laura hit her drive on a par three hole. Her ball landed in a bunker short of the green. She climbed down into the sand, planted her feet and blasted the ball out and onto the green. It rolled up close to the hole. She raked the sand, climbed out of the bunker and eagerly walked across the green to tap in her ball for a par. But then she discovered that the ball was not hers.

What should she do?
A. Laura hit a wrong ball. She should abandon that ball, take a 2 stroke penalty and go find her own ball.
B. Laura hit a wrong ball out of a bunker. There is no penalty because you are not allowed to identify your ball in a bunker.

A is correct
This is new. Up until January 1st, 2008, ‘B’ would have been correct. But Rule 12-2 has been changed. Now you will be allowed to lift a ball for identification in a bunker or in a water hazard. And because rule 15-3 also has been changed, if you fail to identify your ball and hit someone else’s ball – a wrong ball – you will be penalized 2 strokes (Loss of hole in Match Play).

Open your Rules of Golf Book to the following two rules:

Rule 12-2 Searching for and Identifying Ball
Last year the rule said:
… if he lifts his ball for identification (in a hazard), he incurs a penalty of one stroke.

This year the rule says:
…. if he lifts his ball in order to identify it (when not necessary to do so), he incurs a penalty of one stroke.

Rule 15-3 Wrong Ball
Last year the rule said:
If a competitor makes a stroke or strokes at a wrong ball (that is not in a hazard), he incurs a penalty of two strokes.

This year it says:
If a competitor makes a stroke or strokes at a wrong ball, he incurs a penalty of two strokes.

REMEMBER: You are now allowed to identify you ball in a hazard. But, if you hit a wrong ball, you will be penalized.