Golf rulers look at simplifying game laws

GOLF’S rulers had started looking at simplifying the game’s complex laws before Tiger Woods violated them for the second time this year in the Masters.

The world No 1 had experts calling for him to be disqualified before he was saved by Augusta officials admitting they’d mucked things up.

While the R&A and USGA will be issuing a statement soon regarding the rule that gives players protection from being disqualified after signing their scorecard, the wheels are already in motion to make some of the laws more simple to understand.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Despite having a rulebook this thick, something new does happen from time to time in golf,” admitted Peter Dawson, who was on duty as a rules 
official himself at the season’s opening major a fortnight ago. “This whole issue of complexity of the rules is important. We are actually doing a study at the moment with the USGA and the professional game to see if we feel that the rules can be materially simplified. The group working on that is just about to come to a conclusion about whether we can go forward with that and there is a lot of excitement about it.”

Spared disqualification despite having signed his scorecard, Woods was hit with a two-shot penalty over an illegal drop in the second round at Augusta. “I feel the decision taken was reasonable,” said Dawson.

“I personally think Tiger understood the rules perfectly well but, after seeing his shot hit the stick and go back into the water, he was slightly off centre for a while. When I’ve been refereeing, I’ve always thought he knew the rules inside out.”

Related topics: