PRO's TIP OF THE MONTH

New Rule Changes:

The USGA recently changed a rule which has caused a lot of controversy on the putting green over the past year. The old rule stated that if your ball or ball marker was moved during the act of marking your ball or during the stroke or set up the player was deemed to have caused it to move and was penalized one stroke and the ball was to be replaced before the next stroke.  Now the rule states that there is no penalty if the player’s ball or ball marker is accidentally moved by the player. The ball is simply replaced and you play on without penalty. (In the case where the ball on a putting green moves due to natural causes; wind, water or gravity, you must play the ball from where it has moved to, without penalty.) 

This new rule will be a “Local Rule” until it can be changed in the official USGA/R&A meeting in 2020.

So don’t worry if you accidentally move your ball or ball marker while placing or replacing your ball on the green.  Nor if you drop a glove or hat on your ball while marking it, or bumping it inadvertently while addressing it before the stroke!!