Day 2 of the USGA/PGA Rules Workshop in San Diego is over. This is always the longest, but thankfully they have been giving us plenty of breaks. This is important so that we can stay focused on the material. Today we covered the "Status of Ball" definitions and Rules 15, 20, and 23-28. These are some of the basic relief rules that officials handle frequently. While there haven't been any changes to them in this set of revisions, it is always important to review them.
One of the changes that is of concern for me is the much publicized change regarding a ball being blown by wind after address. Under the old rule, if a player addressed the ball and it then moved, the player was "deemed" to have caused the ball to move and incurred a one-stroke penalty. However, with the new Rules, if it is "known or virtually certain" that the player has done nothing to cause the ball to move and the ball moves as a result of a gust of wind, the player is not penalized. But, that's not all of the story.
The problem with all of this is that everything being published regarding this change is focusing on the "known or virtually certain that the player has done nothing to cause the ball to move" aspect. Unfortunately, unless one reads Decision 18-2b/11, they will not know that gravity is not one of the elements NOT considered if the ball were to move.
In other words, if a ball is precariously perched on a slope on a slick putting green and the player grounds his club immediately behind the ball, and then gravity takes over and causes the ball to move, the player will say that he has done nothing to have caused the ball to move -- and that is likely to be true. Thus, the player will play the ball from its new position. However, this Decision states that gravity is NOT an element to be considered and since wind did not cause the ball to move, the player will be deemed to have caused the ball to move. And, this requires the ball to be replaced and the player add one penalty stroke to his score. Yet, this is not likely to happen.
We shall see how this turns out, but fortunately this is the most (potentially) controversial changes for this year.
Well, dinner on Coronado Island awaits, until next time-
Doug
