Searching for and identifying ball - Lifting ball to identify it
If a ball might be yours but you cannot identify it as it lies, you may lift the ball to identify it. But, the spot of the ball must first be marked, and the ball must not be cleaned more than needed to identify it (except on the putting green).
If the lifted ball is your ball or another player’s ball, it must be replaced on its original spot.
If you lift your ball when not reasonably necessary to identify it, fail to mark the spot of the ball before lifting it or clean it when not allowed, you get one penalty stroke.