Players, officials agree a change is necessary
As golfers and officials talk about Rule 18-2B, there’s actually little debate. Most agree something needs to be done. The only question is what.
There is universal agreement that the rule, which requires a one-stroke penalty if the ball moves after a player has addressed it, is unnecessarily harsh. The best example came in the final round of the Zurich Classic on Sunday, when Webb Simpson’s infraction cost him a victory. He eventually lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson.
On the 15th green, after Simpson placed his putter well behind the ball in preparation to tap-in a 1-footer, the ball moved slightly. He summoned an official, who had no recourse but to tell him to return the ball to its original spot and take the mandated penalty.
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| Wells Fargo Championship |
| When » Thursday to Sunday |
| Where » Quail Hollow Country Club, Charlotte, N.C. |
| TV » CBS |
As a result, Rule 18-2B is a major topic of discussion this week in Charlotte, N.C., at the Wells Fargo Championship.
“I think it’s a very — it’s a borderline rule,” Martin Kaymer told reporters. “You haven’t really done anything wrong. It’s just very unlucky, and to get penalized like that — and obviously he lost the tournament because of this — it’s tough.”
The problem with the rule is that, if it remains in effect, there will be more such penalties. With greens rolling faster than ever, balls are more subject to movement from natural forces such as gravity and wind.
“The problem with the rule is you get greens like this that they get pretty bare, almost like this table top,” Simpson said. “Wind’s blowing, balls can wiggle and move so easily.”
Next month at the U.S. Open at Congressional, greens will top out at 14.5 on the stimpmeter, according to U.S. Golf Association executive director Mike Davis. How would such a controversy go over in arguably golf’s most prestigious championship?
What irritates players is the randomness of the penalty. It can happen at any time to any player through no fault of their own.
According to USGA vice president Tom O’Toole, changing the rule has been under discussion since 2004. The USGA and the Royal and Ancient, the governing body for golf in Europe, will decide what to do in September at the Walker Cup.
According to O’Toole, players would be penalized only if the ball moves because the player has soled his club behind it. But that introduces a judgment call in the process, which could spark more controversy if there is disagreement between players on what caused the ball to move or if video evidence contradicts the player.
Some argue that a rule change (replacing the ball with no penalty) should occur only on the green.
Dustin Johnson is one of the few without an opinion.
“I could care less either way,” Johnson said Wednesday.
