R & A rule changes make sense
Editorial Department • Published 27 Oct 2011 13:00
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The Rules governing body, The Royal and Ancient have recently amended several contentious rules.
The most notable change is that the new rule exonerates a player from penalty if their ball moves after it has been addressed when it is known or virtually certain that they did not cause the ball to move. For example if it is a gust of wind that moves the ball after it has been addressed there is no penalty and the ball is played from its new position.
In the past this infringement had cost several players dearly, none more so than US PGA Tour player Webb Simpson.
In May this year in New Orleans, Simpson incurred a one stroke penalty for such an infringement when his ball moved on the 15th green and then he proceeded to be beaten in a play-off to fellow American Bubba Watson. Not only did such a penalty cost the player 460,000 dollars but it also cost him the PGA Tour money list last weekend when Luke Donald over took him by 335,861 dollars. No doubt Simpson can feel hard done by and rightly so as this rule should have been changed long ago. With players demanding faster putting surfaces this rule always raises its head especially when the wind blows hard on exposed links courses.
This positive move by the rules body should also help speed up play as there should be less suspensions of play due to such conditions.
Another notable change is that regarding prizes won by amateurs for a hole in one. Previously players accepting more than the allocated prize fund of £500 had to relinquish their amateur status. Now all prize restrictions have been lifted, all those who have won cars in the past can now return. No doubt local car dealers will be bombarded with such sponsorship requests, insurance companies take note.
Announcing the changes the R & A'S Director of Rules David Rickman said: "We felt the time was right to carry out a fundamental review of some rules at this time."
On the etiquette side of things a player will now be able to smooth sand in a bunker before playing from the bunker provided it is for the purpose of caring for the course and Rule 13-2 (improve lie, area of intended stance or swing or line of play) is not breached.
No doubt some players will suddenly start caring a little bit more about their bunkers and take the opportunity to test the texture of the sand at the same time! No doubt this amendment will receive the full support of all green keepers and rightly so.
Many of these changes are good for the game and should help do away the so called trial by camera situations that we have encountered over the past season or two.
Too many players have been harshly penalised in the past including Ireland's Padraig Harrington for infringements that deserved no such penalties.
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This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 27 Oct 11
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