I'm playing Merion and on no. 12, I hit the ball into very thick weeds. Actually, I wasn't paying attention to my aim and hit it off the tee into the woods on the right. I didn't lose the ball, but it's impossible for me to hit it out. I've tried lobbing, punching, chipping, and full swing, but the ball goes 0 yards. My next swing, I lose it the ball even though it again only goes 0 yards. Here's the kicker - instead of being allowed to drop it, it places my new ball in the exact location as the ball I (supposedly) lost. What?!?
I ended up taking the maximum shots allowed (10) and went from a -5 to a +1. If I could have taken a drop, I might have gotten out of there with a bogey or a double. I appreciate any insight.