All four Rules changes have now taken effect.
RULE 6-6D
Decision 18-2/0.5 had previously been
added to provide guidance for Rules officials and players when trying to determine
the cause of a ball’s movement. The Decision gives examples of relevant factors to
consider and situations where the weight
of the evidence indicates the player caused
the ball to move, along with situations
where the evidence indicates the played
did not cause the ball to move.
A new Exception to Rule 6-6d is the
third principle change. Previously in
stroke play, if a player returned a score for
any hole lower than actually taken, almost
always, disqualification was the penalty.
Now, if a player returns a score lower than
actually taken due to failure to include
one or more penalty strokes that—before
returning his score card—he did not know
he had incurred, he is not disqualified.
Author Kathryn Belanger is an Assistant
Manager for Rules Communications for
the United States Golf Association.
RULE 14-1B PROHIBITED
USGA PHOTOS
rowly addresses only the use of anchored
strokes as defined in the Rule. Players
remain free to use all currently conforming equipment (including long and midlength putters) and all individual styles
and methods of gripping and swinging
the club, so long as they keep the club
and hands gripping the club off the body
and do not use a forearm to establish an
anchor point.
The second principle change is the
removal of Rule 18-2b. There is no longer an automatic penalty of one stroke
if a player’s ball moves after it has been
addressed. Now when a player’s ball moves
after address, the facts of the situation will
have to be evaluated. Only when it is more
likely than not that the facts show the
player caused his ball to move will he incur
a penalty of one stroke under Rule 18-2.
In such a situation, the player will add
the prescribed penalty and an additional
penalty of two strokes for a breach of Rule
6-6d to his score for the hole on which the
breach occurred.
This Exception does not apply if a player
miscounts the strokes taken on a hole and
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