ChrisC:
I believe you have it all exactly right and so did one of the best guys I know on Rules at the USGA. The trick in a situation like that seems to be collecting enough information and pertinent info to the Rules as well as the timing of it from the players to be able to resolve the entire situation properly and as it played out over the course of the match. These two gals are pretty good players and they love that kind of competition (the ladies GAP team matches) and are really into it but when faced with a situation and ruling like that one, they tend to freak out and fill the air with a constant stream of irrelevent information with the people who are trying to figure the whole thing out and resolve it for them. It is true to say that neither one of them apparently understood Rule 2-5 or was even aware of the use and timing of it. Matter of fact, the gal who called me was absolutely delighted when I told her it was always possible to call the USGA Rules desk on the spot to get a Rules resolution. She took the number and put it right into her cell phone and said because of that something like this would never happen again. I even told her to call the Rules Desk at the USGA right after she talked to me just to get used to it. And so she did. I called the Rules Desk about ten minutes later and got Travis, the same guy she just talked to. Unfortunately, Travis said it was a total one-way converstaion and he wasn't able to ask a single question so he wasn't able to offer her a ruling. So, I called her back and said: "Carolyn, you have to just outline the basic facts and then let him ask you some questions if need be", and then she said: "WELL, Travis was the rudest man and tried to stop me from speaking!"
Don't you just love women, Chris?