narrominded
Jake Narro, PGA professional, head golf coach at Southeastern Louisiana University and
Backspin publisher
waiting on the rules to change...
As most of you know, beginning in 2019,
the will be some changes to the Rules of
Golf. The overall reason for the changes will
be to make playing the game a bit easier to
understand and to help with pace of play.
Between now and the end of the year, I will
highlight the major changes that should
affect everyday play the most. Let’s start with
the ball itself and how it’s played.
Rule 7.4, if a player accidentally moves
his or her ball while searching for it:
The player will get no penalty for causing
it to move, and
The ball will always be replaced; if the
exact spot is not known, the player will
replace the ball on the estimated original spot
(including on, under or against any attached
natural or man-made objects which the ball
had been at rest under or against).
This change will help when searching for
a ball in high grass or unstable places. For
example, if you are searching for your ball in
an area that’s dense and you step on your ball
there will be no penalty and you will replace
the ball to its original position.
if the player, opponent or outside influence
was known or virtually certain to have caused
it to move; otherwise it will be assumed that
natural forces caused it to move.
This is the Dustin Johnson rule for his
one-stroke penalty when he did nothing to
make his ball move. The rule is basically
saying that if you’re not 95% sure you know
why the ball moved, you will not receive a
penalty. Rule 14.2c below explains how to
proceed should this happen.
Rule 14.2c, in that same situation:
The ball will always be placed on a spot
rather than being dropped.
If the exact original spot is not known,
the player will be required to replace the ball
on its estimated spot (including on, under or
against any attached natural objects that the
ball had been at rest on, under or against).
Under Rule 11.1, for all accidental
deflections, including when the ball hits the
player or opponent or their equipment or
caddies:
There will be no penalty and the ball will
be played as it lies (with limited exceptions).
So you’re in a steep-faced bunker and very
close to the edge. You’re trying to get the ball
up and out extremely quick, but it ricochets
off the lip and deflects off your leg. The old
rule would add insult to injury with a one-
stroke penalty but as you can read in Rule
11.1, not anymore.
Rule 13.1d, there will no longer be a
penalty if a player (or opponent) accidentally
causes the player’s ball to move on the putting
green.
Have you ever set up to hit a putt and
barely nudged your ball with your putter? I
know I have, especially when the greens are
fast and a bit burned out. It will no longer
Common sense seems to be prevailing in
be a penalty and you may replace it to its the changes described above as how the ball
original position.
is played. Next month, we’ll go through a
few more changes and give a few examples
Rule 9.2, the “known or virtually certain” as to how they will play out on the course.
standard (meaning at least 95% likely) will
apply to all questions of fact about why a ball
at rest moved:
A player, opponent or outside influence
will be found to have caused the ball to move
Jake
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