Tour News

USGA adds local rule, scraps penalty for accidental ball movement

Published

9 years ago

Dec 8, 2016

Call it the “Dustin Johnson Rule.” The USGA has added a local rule aimed at dealing with players accidentally moving their own balls on the green.

As we all remember, Johnson (nine holes after the offense) was found to have caused his golf ball to move after grounding his club during a practice stroke on one of Oakmont’s undulating skating rink greens at the U.S. Open. The infraction cost the eventual tournament winner a stroke.

The new rule will go into effect January 1 and will (happily) be adopted by all major tours and championships. It modifies rules 18-2, 18-3, and 20-1, which deal collectively with a ball at rest.

The USGA’s new directive reads in part:

“When a player’s ball lies on the putting green, there is no penalty if the ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved by the player, his partner, his opponent, or any of their caddies or equipment. … If it is determined that a player’s ball on the putting green was moved as a result of wind, water or some other natural cause such as the effects of gravity, the ball must be played as it lies from its new location.”

“There was simply too many times on the putting green where we were seeing players penalized, balls moving. We weren’t sure the cause,” said USGA CEO and Executive Director Mike Davis in a press release. “What’s been happening is that you’re seeing penalties assessed that the rules never really contemplated.”

Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s senior director of rules and amateur status, said: “Eliminating the penalty responds to the concerns we have heard from both golfers and committees about the difficulties in applying the current rules when a player accidentally causes a ball to move on the putting green.”

Geoff Shackelford offered his usual spot-on take, reading between the lines of the determination.

“The governing bodies have long resisted introducing the question of intent to the Rules of Golf. They’ve also been loathe to introduce Local Rules…But with one smart gesture preventing the game from three more years of silliness (until the next Rules of Golf update), they’ve introduced a local rule that eliminates a penalty for accidental ball movements. While it’ll inevitably be dubbed the Dustin Johnson rule, there were many victims along the way.”

And in an additional effort to keep up with the times, the folks in Far Hills released this handy infographic.

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

22 Comments

biglou11

Dec 11, 2016 at 10:55 pm

The one rule they should implement is to allow for a free drop or placement if your ball is on a divot. Why should someone before you get a perfect lie, but then you have to hit out of an imperfect lie from the same location.

Reply Report comment
mikee

Dec 11, 2016 at 6:02 am

hopefully……more rule “adjustments” on the way…..like adjusting the multi color and multi meaning golf stakes to “every stake is a red stake”.

Reply Report comment
- Dill Pickleson
  
  Dec 12, 2016 at 3:27 am
  
  agreed. stroke and distance is ridiculous
  
  Reply Report comment
Safe spaces w Barack

Dec 9, 2016 at 12:38 pm

I say make keeping score illegal, it’s not fair to all and a form of ableism.

Reply Report comment
Double Mocha Man

Dec 8, 2016 at 8:49 pm

28 likes and nary a shank. I think that’s a new GolfWRX record!

Reply Report comment
Matto

Dec 8, 2016 at 4:37 pm

They need to change the bunker rule. If my ball finds the bunker, it should be a free drop….in the middle of the fairway.

Reply Report comment
- Mort
  
  Dec 8, 2016 at 10:45 pm
  
  You know that’s not even funny, and nobody wants to play with you ever again, right, because you don’t like golf
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Matto
    
    Dec 8, 2016 at 11:13 pm
    
    Dear Mort,
    Appreciate the response. You might be right. So would you play with me? If I organised it?
    Kind regards.
    
    Reply Report comment
Kelly

Dec 8, 2016 at 4:20 pm

I think this is a really positive move. However, I’m not sure why they have removed the penalty for actually kicking a ball. Kicking a ball marker, maybe, but actually kicking a ball is such a gross act of negligence that you should get penalized just for being that stupid.

Reply Report comment
- Mitch Young
  
  Dec 8, 2016 at 6:44 pm
  
  there are many occasions when this can happen, ever play on shared greens or the older private courses that have greens, holes and practice ares that are close to the putting surface.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Double Mocha Man
  
  Dec 8, 2016 at 8:52 pm
  
  It’s not like they’re kicking a field goal in the NFL. It’s for the clumsy golfer who is not paying attention when he approaches his ball and accidentally kicks it. Now, the “foot wedge” is a totally different issue.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Mort
  
  Dec 8, 2016 at 10:47 pm
  
  Kelly, what they should introduce is a rule, where if you cannot bend over to replace ballmark or pick up the ball, or pull the ball out of the cup, you are penalized on 2 strokes on every hole you use a device attachments to do those things.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Dill Pickleson
  
  Dec 12, 2016 at 3:29 am
  
  i just did this the other day. went to mark my ball and someone started yelling fore but i wheeled to protect myself and kicked my ball.
  
  Reply Report comment
Golfrnut

Dec 8, 2016 at 2:48 pm

Why make it a local rule? Just overwrite what’s already in the rule book and be done with it IMO.

Reply Report comment
- the bishop
  
  Dec 8, 2016 at 2:58 pm
  
  http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1416850-local-rule-accidentally-moved-ball-on-the-green/#entry14623106
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Golfrnut
    
    Dec 8, 2016 at 3:20 pm
    
    Ah…awesome. Thanks for that!
    
    Reply Report comment
JP

Dec 8, 2016 at 1:36 pm

FINNNALLLLLYYY!!!!

Reply Report comment
the bishop

Dec 8, 2016 at 1:30 pm

They still need to scrap Mike Davis if they ever expect to see any of my money again.

Reply Report comment
- Mort
  
  Dec 8, 2016 at 10:48 pm
  
  Good. Good bye! We won’t miss you or your silly dolla
  
  Reply Report comment
  - the bishop
    
    Dec 9, 2016 at 1:48 pm
    
    Don’t stop now Mort since you brought your A game.
    
    Reply Report comment
- CT
  
  Dec 9, 2016 at 10:42 am
  
  The USGA is unbelievably terrible, and the embodiment of the worst aspects of elitism in golf.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Drv4shwputt4dough
    
    Dec 9, 2016 at 11:34 am
    
    Yes sir!!!
    
    Reply Report comment

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

3 days ago

May 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site for the second major of 2026: The PGA Championship from Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The tournament’s location, just outside Philadelphia, and its status as a major championship mean GolfWRXers are in for a treat: WITBs from a strong field, custom gear celebrating the PGA Championship, and the rich culture of the City of Brotherly Love — we have noted a relative absence of cheesesteak-themed items thus far this week, but most of the rest of the usual suspects are well represented.

Check out links to all our photos below.