Tour News

USGA Enters Digital Age With New Rules Decisions

Published

12 years ago

Nov 20, 2013

According to an announcement made Tuesday on the United States Golf Association’s website, 87 changes were made to the decisions on the rules of golf. Fifty-nine decisions were revised, 24 were withdrawn and three new decisions were entered into the rules of golf. Of this vast number, one in particular will impact golfers around the world, especially the ones who feel compelled to insert themselves into a televised event.

The rules of golf have undergone intense scrutiny since the televised era began. Rather, golfers who disobey or ignore the codified legal system of the sport’s organizing bodies have been taken to task, penalized and disqualified thanks to the intervention of overzealous viewers. From Dustin Johnson’s two-stroke penalty at the 2010 PGA Championship to Tiger Woods’ two 2013 brushes with the laws of golf, enthusiastic guardians of the game have made great effort to uphold the tenets and commandments of the game’s governors. Casual observers question why these supposed professionals are at times unfamiliar with the regulations of their chosen sport, and at others suspected of intentionally transgressing the very statutes that define the parameters of fair play.

Here’s how the decision reads on the USGA site:

New Decision 18/4 provides that, where enhanced technological evidence (e.g. HDTV, digital recording or online visual media, etc.) shows that a ball has left its position and come to rest in another location, the ball will not be deemed to have moved if that movement was not reasonably discernible to the naked eye at the time.

To be fair, golf is an impossible sport to police, especially at the professional level. Unlike any other competition in the world, medal play golf spreads its contestants across miles of competitive grounds, with upwards of 20 groups on course at a given moment. Since golfers do not directly influence the play of their opponents, they often perform basic tasks in complete oblivion…unless they go by the name Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods, the most recognizable athlete in the world for more than 10 years, receives more camera time than any athlete in the game. As a result, his movements are scrutinized to the most minute detail. The two-stroke penalty assessed at the 2013 BMW Championship may have been the straw that broke the camel’s stout back. Nearly invisible to the naked eye, Woods was done in by the report of a viewing denizen, who doubtless DVR’d the moment, played it back at extra slow-motion, at which point the slight oscillation of the ball was revealed in all its egregious deceit.

In my estimation, this decision is long overdue. Ever since Craig Stadler was hosed back in 1987 at the San Diego Open for the infamous “towel incident,” viewers have felt it their duty to police the PGA Tour and other televised events. It was pure and simple cowardice on the part of all tournament officials to not tell those busy-bodies to find a better use of their time, like gardening or jury duty. No other sport allows fans to influence rulings; although golf doesn’t pretend to be an “other sport,” it should have been in these instances. The matter would have been put to rest 25 years prior to new decision 18/4.

No slight meant toward the other 86 decisions revelations. It is certainly important to know that grass between your ball and the soil does not mean the ball is not embedded (and entitled to free relief). Nor is it wrong to have an extra 50 yards to walk, to determine if a provisional may be hit. Actually, that one confuses me, but I’ll get back to it. As far as the using your smart phone to get atmospheric conditions during competition, well, that one is rife for compromise. Once you allow the smart phone out, you have to implicitly trust the golfer to not cheat. Oh, wait, that’s the foundation of the game. Never mind!

Regarding the provisional ball decision, I had always learned that if you suspected you needed to hit a provisional, then you hit it after marking the ball and declaring it a provisional. Heck, if your original ball goes 260 and your provisional goes 110, you can even keep hitting the provisional until you get to where the first ball should lay. If it’s found, all those provisional strokes don’t count.

My question, then, is why does anyone need to walk anywhere, to determine if a provisional is necessary? If you can’t see your ball sitting up and you suspect it might be lost, mark, declare and hit a provisional! If you find the original, play it. If you don’t, high-five your opponent and partners for avoiding the walk of shame back to the tee or previous lie.

While the digital media proviso will doubtless receive the most attention and applause from the pundits and aficionados, the other 86 decisions will have a greater effect on the golfing public.

Related Topics:USGA

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Ronald Montesano

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

16 Comments

Ronald Montesano

Nov 23, 2013 at 7:15 am

According to an interview with Mike Davis (http://www.golfdigest.com/golfworld/2013-11/mike-davis-q-and-a), it seems like this rules decision will hardly affect call-ins. The vigilantes will ride again. Their horses are fed and rested, which is too bad.

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Happyday_J

Nov 21, 2013 at 9:55 am

could the 50 yard walk they allow for provisional be for the instance when your ball could possibly be in a hazard. It is my understanding that a provisional ball may not be played when a ball is in a hazard. Once a ball is struck after a ball is in a hazard that ball is in play and a drop may not be made. I may be wrong…. in any case, if thats how the rule for the hazards are, maybe they allow the 50 yard walk to allow the golfer to try and see if his ball may be in a hazard. Just me .02

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- Ronald Montesano
  
  Nov 21, 2013 at 10:49 am
  
  If the group agrees it’s in the hazard, no provisional. If the group says it’s not in the hazard but cannot see it, you should hit the provisional.
  
  Reply Report comment
Ryan

Nov 21, 2013 at 9:28 am

Good ! No more armchair experts getting into other peoples business..

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Nov 21, 2013 at 10:50 am
  
  I see their kind as much worse than armchair experts. They are people with an ax to grind or a need to matter, masquerading as keepers of the rules flame.
  
  Reply Report comment
Spengler

Nov 21, 2013 at 8:38 am

Not DQ’d LJ, he was penalized a 2 stroke for grounding in a bunker which arguably cost him the tournament

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Nov 21, 2013 at 9:45 am
  
  Thanks, Spengler. As I told Lloyd below, thanks for the catch. Edit made.
  
  Reply Report comment
Ronald Montesano

Nov 20, 2013 at 10:24 pm

Steve,

As soon as I suspect I might be in trouble, I declare and hit the provisional. After all, it’s a mid-round practice swing at worst (what’s not to like about that) and a 50-yard saver at best. Let me ask you this: in your estimation, is there ever a situation when you can’t hit a provisional, other than a) you see the ball and b) you see it enter a hazard?

Reply Report comment
J

Nov 20, 2013 at 10:16 pm

27-s1/1.5 is THE DUMBEST thing I’ve ever heard, considering the fact that we are trying to improve pace, not stall it.

Reply Report comment
- J
  
  Nov 20, 2013 at 10:17 pm
  
  27-2a, I mean
  sorry for the typo
  
  Reply Report comment
Steve Connolly

Nov 20, 2013 at 10:00 pm

Ron, I can think of two scenarios where the 50y rule for the provisional would make sense:
1) If there is some disagreement among the group whether or not the ball may be lost or OB.
2) There may be a blind spot from the tee, say on the inside corner of a dogleg. When moving a bit away from the tee, the player may realize that his/her ball may be in trouble.

I think it is a good rule. It still saves time.

Reply Report comment
- JP
  
  Nov 21, 2013 at 8:18 am
  
  Why bother walking 50yds, just hit the provisional if there’s any doubt!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Ronald Montesano
    
    Nov 21, 2013 at 9:45 am
    
    Steve,
    As soon as I suspect I might be in trouble, I declare and hit the provisional. After all, it’s a mid-round practice swing at worst (what’s not to like about that) and a 50-yard saver at best. Let me ask you this: in your estimation, is there ever a situation when you can’t hit a provisional, other than a) you see the ball and b) you see it enter a hazard?
    
    Reply Report comment
Ronald Montesano

Nov 20, 2013 at 9:19 pm

Thanks for the catch, Lloyd. I’ll be on the fix momentarily.

Reply Report comment
Lloyd Jackson

Nov 20, 2013 at 8:02 pm

Dustin Johnson was disqualified in the 2010 PGS C’ship?

Why have I not read this before now?

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Nov 21, 2013 at 9:46 am
  
  Thanks for the catch, Lloyd. I’ll be on the fix momentarily.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

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