THE RULES OF GOLF
Changes in the Rules
T
he United States Golf Association (USGA) and The R&A
announced on Oct. 24 the publication of the new Rules of Golf
for 2012-15.
Changes in the Rules – which for the first time have been designed,
published and presented jointly by golf’s governing bodies – include exonerating a player from penalty if it is known their ball was moved by the wind after
address.
Following an exhaustive, four-year review of golf’s 34 playing Rules, nine principal Rules have been amended to improve clarity and ensure penalties are
proportionate. Significant changes include:
• Ball Moving After Address (Rule 18-2b). A new exception is added
which exonerates the 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.
• Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions (Rule 13-4). Exception 2 to this
Rule is amended to permit a player to smooth sand or soil in a hazard at
any time, including before playing from that hazard, provided it is for the
sole purpose of caring for the course and Rule 13-2 (improving lie, area
of intended stance or swing or line of play) is not breached.
• Time of Starting (Rule 6-3a). The rule is amended to provide that the
penalty for starting late, but within five minutes of the starting time, is
reduced from disqualification to loss of the first hole in match play or two
strokes at the first hole in stroke play. Previously this penalty reduction
could be introduced as a condition of competition.
Commenting on the revisions to the Rules of Golf supported by Rolex, R&A
Golf Thomas Pagel said: “We have
“The Rules of Golf are constantly
evolving and our hope is that
what we have produced for 2012
is clear, informed by common
sense and reflective of the demands of the modern game.”
USGA Senior Director of Rules of
COURTESY USGA AND THE R&A
produced a unified code of the Rules of Golf for 60 years and although the
context has been the same, we often found the perception that there were
different Rules in place depending upon where you were to play the game.
“Now the book will not only have the same content, but it will also be presented
in a uniform fashion with similar formatting and covers; this will truly be a
single code governing the Rules of the game that reflects the strong collaboration between The R&A and USGA.”
“I am delighted with the changes,
in particular the ball moving after
address. It is definitely giving us
players a little bit of a break.”
– Padraig Harrington
The most significant change (Rule 18-2b) will see an end to situations like the
one witnessed during the final round of this year’s Open Championship when
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was penalised when his ball was moved on the
seventh green by the wind after he had addressed it
Padraig Harrington, three-time Major winner and R&A-Working for Golf Ambassador, said: “I am delighted with the changes, in particular the ball moving
after address. Every time the wind blows I am worried that my ball is going to
move and I am worried about grounding my putter, distracting me from trying
to hole my putt.
“This change will speed up play, there won’t be as many suspensions and
players won’t be getting penalised or disqualified unfairly. It is definitely giving
us players a little bit of a break.”
There has been a unified code of golf since 1952 but until now The R&A and the
USGA have published the same rules in separate editions, thereby giving the
impression to some that the rules were different. However, this year sees
identical publications with only some spellings and respective logos changing
depending whether the edition serves the U.S. and Mexico or the rest of
the world.
Golfing legend Arnold Palmer welcomed the announcement of a jointly published edition of the Rules. He said: “What has happened with The R&A and
the USGA is wonderful. In the years I have been associated with the game
and got to know The R&A and what their efforts are and having lived with
the USGA all my life, one of the things I have always thought we should be
closer together.”
