News

USGA publishes changes to Rules of Golf for 2019

Published

6 years ago

Sep 12, 2018

The USGA and R&A have this week published golf’s new rule book, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019. The modernized Rules of Golf features over 30 changes in all, and it is said to be the most significant change to the rules in more than 60 years.

The changes to the rules will see the reduction of several penalties, looser putting green and bunker rules, and regulations that encourage improved pace of play.

According to Thomas Pagel, senior managing director, Governance for the USGA, the aim is to make the rules easier to comprehend and to improve the future of the game

“From the project’s inception, our one goal was to make the Rules easier to understand and apply for all golfers. It sets a new standard in the way we write and interpret the Rules and is central to our efforts to ensure a healthy future for golf.”

Among the significant changes that will come into effect in the new year

Penalty drops will now be made from knee height, rather than shoulder height
No penalty for an accidental double hit
No penalty for accidentally moving your ball or ball-marker on the putting green
No penalty for accidentally moving your ball during search.
Your ball is lost if not found in three minutes (rather than the current 5 minutes)

David Rickman, the executive director, Governance at The R&A, spoke today about his excitement to the modernized rules change that could see the sport become far more accessible

“We are delighted to be rolling out the modernized Rules of Golf today. This is the biggest set of changes to the Rules in a generation and a major step forward in our efforts to make the Rules, and the sport itself, more accessible and more in tune with the way the modern sport is played.”

Both Dustin Johnson and Lexi Thompson suffered high profile penalties in the final round of major championships recently. Under the new rules change, neither incident that they sustained penalties for will be deemed a breach after the new rules go into effect.

The entire list of changes to the rules that will take effect Jan. 1, 2019, is available here.

Your Reaction?

LIKE58
LEGIT2
WOW0
LOL2
IDHT0
FLOP2
OB0
SHANK7

Related Topics:

Up Next

GolfWRX Morning 9: 2019 Rules | Getting to know Mark Broadie | Fujikawa’s full statement

Don't Miss

GolfWRX Forum Thread of the Day: “Spieth facing sanctions?”

Gianni Magliocco

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

8 Comments

Shifty

Sep 13, 2018 at 7:10 am

“rules change that could see the sport become far more accessible” – how so?

Reply Report comment
pr

Sep 13, 2018 at 2:28 am

I don’t like the fact that you can now touch the ground in a hazard area. That should never be allowed. Hazards are called that for a reason, they aren’t supposed to be perfectly manicured million dollar country club relief areas.

Reply Report comment
Steven

Sep 13, 2018 at 12:48 am

Changes are coming! Not sure if this is allowed but we made a bag tag to help everyone with the rule changes. Would appreciate any support!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1641149418/quickstarter-rules-caddy-2019-simplify-the-rules-o?ref=user_menu

Reply Report comment
Rick

Sep 13, 2018 at 12:37 am

Lexi put her ball down an inch from the ball marker… that was the problem. How’s that solved here?

Reply Report comment
Wayne Johnson

Sep 12, 2018 at 10:57 pm

Great changes but removing a ball from a Divot in the fairway should have been included. Hitting a good drive in the fairway should not be penalized by having to play out of someone’s divot.

Reply Report comment
- Sean
  
  Sep 12, 2018 at 11:21 pm
  
  Don’t fool yourself mate. These changes are not about improving the game. There about speeding up the game so more revenue can be generated.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - C
    
    Sep 13, 2018 at 7:56 am
    
    How are any of the top four bulleted rules about speeding up play?
    
    Reply Report comment
- Mike
  
  Sep 13, 2018 at 11:45 am
  
  I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment, but I see big challenge in rulings. What is a divot? Certain depth/width? How old can the divot be? If it was taken 2 months ago, but there is still a trace amount of sand left from being filled, can I take relief? I don’t have a solution, but I think this is whats holding this back.
  
  Reply Report comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

Why Wyndham Clark is playing a brand-new driver and an old putter this week

Published

18 hours ago

Jun 6, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt of an article originally filed for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report by our Andrew Tursky. Read the full piece here.

At the top end of the bag, Clark is set to change into Titleist’s new GT2 driver during the first week it’s being made available to PGA TOUR players. On Monday, Titleist officially unveiled its new lineup of GT drivers and fairway woods, and Clark plans to become one of the early adopters of the new technology as competition begins on Thursday at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Interestingly, Clark was relatively late to make a permanent switch into the company’s previous TSR3 driver. Although the TSR drivers first launched in 2022, Clark was back-and-forth with the 2020 TSi3 driver and the 2022 TSR3 driver until the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2024.

On Wednesday, GolfWRX.com caught up with Clark to get his take on the new GT2 driver, and why he’s switching so quickly.

“It’s faster (than my previous TSR3),” Clark said. “I felt like I got 2-3 mph more ball speed, which is amazing. And it has really consistent spin, which is obviously huge for what we do out here.”

…On the bottom end of the bag, Clark will likely play his first event since 2023 without an Odyssey Jailbird putter in the bag.

In case you forgot, Clark and Rickie Fowler were the trendsetters who brought the 2014 Odyssey Versa Jailbird back to the forefront of the golf market in 2023. Clark then switched into the upgraded Odyssey Ai Jailbird during the week of his win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

This week, however, Clark is going back in time, switching into a PXG prototype mallet that he used in 2022.

Read the full piece at PGATour.com

Your Reaction?

LIKE11
LEGIT0
WOW1
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP0
OB0
SHANK1

Equipment

Details on Justin Thomas’ gas station putter pickup

Published

23 hours ago

Jun 6, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report detailing how Justin Thomas acquired his new Scotty Cameron putter. Head over there for the full article.

…Thomas was texting with Paul Vizanko (Director of Scotty Cameron Putter Fitting and Player Development), and Thomas explained what he was thinking, seeing and feeling on the putting greens of late. Thomas is currently ranked 159th in Strokes Gained: Putting on the PGA TOUR, so maybe it was time for a change.

After hearing Thomas’ thought processes, Vizanko suggested that Thomas might actually like a custom putter build that he previously made for Sargent.

Gordon Sargent’s custom Cameron.

Sargent is entering his Senior year at Vanderbilt University, but he’s no ordinary college student. He’s currently the No. 1-ranked Men’s amateur golfer in the world according to the World Amateur Golf Rankings, and he’s already competed in four PGA TOUR events, including the 2023 Masters and the 2023 U.S. Open. He also won the 2022 Men’s Division I Individual Championship.

Thomas, who says he has gotten to know Sargent in recent years, reached out to Sargent via text prior to the Memorial.

Thomas needed a putter, and Sargent – according to Vizanko – might have his answer.

Since Sargent and Thomas live within driving distance to each other in Alabama, they met up at a local gas station to make the hand-off.

“I texted Gordon [about using the putter], and he said he wasn’t using it, so I could have it,” Thomas told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at Muirfield Village Golf Club. “I’ve gotten to know Gordon some…so we met up at a gas station to make the transfer.”

Head over to PGATour.com for the rest of the article.

More photos of JT’s putter in the forums.

Your Reaction?

LIKE29
LEGIT2
WOW3
LOL6
IDHT0
FLOP0
OB1
SHANK9

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Memorial Tournament

Published

4 days ago

Jun 3, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is live this week from Jack’s place, Muirfield Village Golf Club, for the 2024 edition of the Memorial Tournament.

On the equipment front so far, Titleist’s new GT drivers and fairway woods have been the stars of the show. WITBs and other pull-out galleries — including a 60-degree Vokey with a K-Star grind and some interesting putters — are on display.

Check back throughout the week as we add more photos from Dublin, Ohio!