When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Phone-In Rules Officials, Sticklers For Timeliness Big Losers In Rules Changes
/All three major rule modifications make great sense, and with the Ball in Hazard rule for those poor souls who leave a shot in a bunker but feel the need to rake before extricating themselves.
• 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.
A major blow to the at-home rules officials.
• 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.
Now Rory can kick the sand in frustration and still not be penalized, only this time no inquiry will be necessary.
• 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.
Another no-brainer.
"Kinder and gentler" was Ryan Herrington's takeaway on the latest changes.
R&A Buries The Lede: Major Amateur Status Changes Unveiled...
/...seven paragraphs after leading with the changes to the hole-in-one prize issue, which was impacting one in every 20,000,000 million golf shots hit annually.
Contrast this with the USGA press release, which is clean, to-the-point and focused on getting out the most important news (while not even mentioning the hole-in-one nonsense).
Here's the R&A version, brought to you by Rolex:
THE R&A ANNOUNCES NEW RULES OF AMATEUR STATUS FOR 2012
Significant changes include allowing unlimited hole-in-one prizes
First-ever unified, worldwide code for amateur status
24 October, 2011, St Andrews, Scotland: Amateur golfers will be allowed to play for unlimited hole-in-one prizes under revisions to the Rules of Amateur Status announced today by The R&A.
Blah, blah, blah...if you want a giggle, go read the full release online with Suzann Pettersen's quotes about how this will make the game better. Now, jump SEVEN paragraphs to the story the governing bodies are oddly shying away from.
Those who will notice the biggest changes to the rules are elite amateurs preparing to make the difficult transition to the professional game.
Players will now be able to enter into an agreement with an agent or sponsor as long as they do not receive any financial gain while still an amateur.
Now agents in the U.S. don't have to pretend they are not talking to college players! Here's the actual news:
Rules have also been relaxed on subsistence payments paid through national golf unions.
Say goodbye to international players coming to America for college. And say hello world America. How long before the U.S. has to start its own national golf union to keep up with the rest of the world?
Rickman explained: “The rules on contracts now reflect the modern game and adopt a much more realistic and common sense approach.
“Similarly, the rules on subsistence expenses should help the support of deserving talent wherever it may emerge across the golfing world.”
Tom Lewis, who recently turned professional after an amateur career that included winning the Silver Medal at this year’s Open Championship as well as being part of the victorious 2011 Walker Cup team, welcomed the changes.
He said: “It is an important change because some players are forced into turning pro early just because of financial difficulties.
I feel like I'm reading something out of Dickens! These poor, starving, Hugo Boss-clad children!
Anyway here's the actual language:
Rule 2-2 Professionalism; Contacts and Agreements
National Golf Unions or Associations – New Rule 2-2 (a) is added to allow an amateur golfer to enter into a contract and/or agreement with his national golf union or association, provided he does not obtain any financial gain, directly or indirectly, while still an amateur golfer.
Professional Agents, Sponsors and Other Third Parties – New Rule 2-2 (b) is added to allow an amateur golfer, who is at least 18 years of age, to enter into a contract and/or agreement with a third party solely in relation to the golfer’s future as a professional golfer, provided he does not obtain any financial gain, directly or indirectly, while still an amateur golfer.
And the subsistence expenses...
Rules 4-3 Subsistence Expenses
New Rule added to allow an amateur golfer to receive subsistence expenses to assist with general living costs, provided the expenses are approved by and paid through the player’s national golf union or association.
This is huge news for international golf, and yet it gets second billing to hole-in-one prizes. But why?
The complete text of all changes to the Rules of Amateur Status and video summaries of the changes can be found at www.randa.org
Rolex’s relationship with The R&A dates back to 1978 when the company first began to support The Open Championship. In addition to the Rules of Golf, Rolex also support the Amateur Championship, the Walker Cup, the Boys Amateur Championship and the Junior Open. Rolex also sponsors the British Golf Museum and this year became the presenting patron of the Senior Open Championship.
And thank you for that message from our sponsor.
Speaking of irony, the R&A's other release from the day touts the publishing of one rule book for the world (same fonts too, just different spellings for words like colour!). Yet the two governing bodies send out two entirely different press releases.
Chubby Gets Four Years Of Fees; Someone Else Gets To Make Flight Arrangements
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Multimillionaires Bounce Back! Luke Wins, Answers "Critics"
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No Way: Reno Tahoe Going To Stableford!
/Rory Makes It A Clean Break: Unfollows Chubby, Westwood On Twitter
/Disney Storylines Mercifully Won't Include The Plight Of Multi-Millionaires
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Chubby Wonders Aloud If Blame Lies With Caroline
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"Can you say, 'awkward?'"
/Rosie: Chandler "Shocked" As Rory Cans Chubby In Airport Lounge
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Chubby And Rory Volley Admiring Quotes In Wake Of Breakup
/Chubby charged the net first, as quoted in this unbylined SkySports.com story on the stunning player-agent break up.
Chandler said: "Onward and upwards. We have had a quite brilliant year. The company is growing and adapting to ensure it stays at the forefront of golf and the business of managing players. We wish Rory every success.
"It has been an honour representing Rory and we take great pride in the role ISM has played in guiding him successfully through his formative years as a professional golfer.
"Under our management he has grown into an international figure and he leaves us as a major champion."
McIlroy, given the opportunity to demonstrate the form taught to him by Caroline, volleyed back.
I would like to sincerely thank Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler and his team for their guidance, representation, and management over the past four years, since turning pro.
Okay, first sign someone else wrote this: the "Andrew" reference. Go on, PR person:
"Chubby and his team have played a very important role in my success to date. I have made great progress under their management and for that I will always be grateful.
"I am now keen to move onto the next stage of my career and I feel this will be facilitated by a fresh view and a new structure around me. Therefore I am delighted to be joining Horizon and I look forward to working with my new team."
Don't Look For Tiger To Use The Belly Putter Anytime Soon
/In Emily Kay's item on James Driscoll reluctantly looking to the belly putter, there was this about his fellow Sean Foley accolyte and Medalist member.
Despite the mass migration to what are quickly becoming conventional blades, Driscoll believes one golfer fans will never see with one is Tiger Woods.
“He was giving me a hard time for practicing with it a couple of weeks ago,” said Driscoll, who shares Woods’ swing coach, Sean Foley, and is a long-time member of Woods’ new course, Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla. “He said he’d never go to the long putter. He has tried it and says he just can’t stroke it.”
Tiger And Greg, The Backstory
/Robert Lusetich explains the various backstories in the Norman-Woods-Couples-triangle. Oh, and perhaps why Robert Allenby's name got dragged into the drama too.
Perhaps it’s not surprising, given the bad blood between Norman and Woods, dating to when they shared coach Butch Harmon. Sharing’s a difficult proposition for two men accustomed to getting their way.
“Tiger and Greg don’t speak,” said a source who knows both well. “There’s a lot of animosity between them.”
Indeed, one reason Woods wanted the word spread about the course-record 62 he shot at the Medalist course in Jupiter, Fla., a few weeks ago is that Norman’s best score on the course he co-designed is 64.
It was a classic retaliation at the Great White Shark’s declaration a week beforehand that Woods would never win another major.