One of the reasons I am totally in love with the game of golf is that there are absolutely no judges. Where your ball goes is entirely down to your skill and control, and, ultimately, your score is completely accurate and is the only measure of how we have done. This purity, coupled with the fact that it can be played solo and to a very mature age when we would certainly have stopped almost all other sports, makes it the best game in the world to me.
But now there seems to have been a worrying development that has been highlighted by Dustin Johnson-gate at the US Open. Almost to a man we would all say that he had done nothing wrong as he did not ground his club behind the ball. So it was a mystery to me how they then later decided to penalise him a shot.
I now know why and it's a worrying development
Earlier this year, rule 18-2 was changed. Basically, they added a clause that said that a player would not be penalised if it was basically a certainty that they did not do anything to cause their ball to move. Inadvertently, they created a situation where the opposite could also be the case but, and here is the worrying part, that would need to be scrutinised and then decided on by officials.
The USGA decided Johnson had probably done something to help the ball move by putting his putter down beside the ball twice. To me, it is absolutely clear that if that were the case it would have moved immediately as he grounded his club inside the ball and not ten seconds later! So I do not agree at all with the 'judgement' but it is the fact that there was a judgement at all that really worries me. I have no doubt that this will probably be an isolated rule problem that will also, hopefully, be addressed. It needs to be and quickly. The Rules of Golf are long winded and detailed to rule out grey areas and yet it seems this one has created one. I hope for the games sake they sort it out quickly.
We've got a busy shop at Chestfield, with lots of new stock as well as a few offers to whet your appetite:
£10 OFF Nike, Glenmuir and Sun-Ice shirts
£10 OFF shorts
Srixon AD333 dozen plus a slevve of AD333 Tours - £20
Titleist limited edition Pro V1 packs - £79.99