#1 Justin Thomas (30, USA) hit a trouble shot with a 9-iron after his tee shot fell behind a tree in the 10th hole of the 1st round of the 2019 PGA Tour Honda Classic. He pulled the ball fantastically, but the 9-iron hit a tree and bent, making it useless. However, Thomas, who could not replace the damaged club according to golf regulations, attempted emergency repairs, but gave up. After that, he had to finish the round with 120% power with his pitching wedge when the 9-iron distance of 155 to 160 yards remained.

#2 Rickie Fowler (35, USA), who is close to Thomas, fell into the penalty area (water hazard) with a chip shot in the 11th hole in the 4th round of the 2019 PGA Tour Phoenix Open. While Fowler, who dropped after receiving a penalty of one stroke, looked at the green, the ball rolled down the slope and fell back into the water. He holed out with a triple bogey after another one-stroke penalty through no fault of the player. It was because of Rule 9.3 of Golf, “If the ball is moved by natural forces, it must be played from where it stopped, except when the ball on the putting green is lifted and replaced and then moved.” The penalty stroke was imposed because the ball could not be hit as it entered the water.

Eom Dong-seol-han is the right time to study the rulesAt the time, Thomas burst into anger, saying, “It’s a ridiculous rule.” Fowler also objected to Thomas’ situation, saying, “If your bat breaks in baseball or your stick breaks in ice hockey, does that mean you can’t play anymore?”

The regulations surrounding the two cases, which were controversial even among amateur golfers, have now disappeared into history. The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the British Royal Golf Association (R&A), which supervise golf rules, put forward a modernization of the rules in 2019 and extensively revised them, supplemented them quarterly, and revised the two rules again in 2023.

Damaged club replacements are now permitted in all competitions. Clubs that are not intentionally broken by the player or damaged by external influences may be replaced. Previously, although damaged clubs could be repaired and used, replacement was only possible according to local rules.

As in the case of Fowler, when a ball rolls into the penalty area due to natural forces such as wind or slope and cannot be played, the penalty stroke imposed when taking relief has also been eliminated. Until last year, in this case, you had to play the next play from where you left off. 토토사이트

If Fowler met a similar situation in the 2023 tournament, he could give the ball that fell into the water and play again in its original place. No penalty, of course. For example, if a ball in the rough rolls into a bunker by itself, you can take the ball out of the bunker and hit it without penalty. Until last year, you had to play in the bunker.

The rule of unconditional disqualification for failing to sign the scorecard after the match has allowed the penalty to be mitigated according to local rules. If not disqualified, a two-stroke penalty is added to the last hole.

Penalties for playing incorrectly substituted balls have also been eased. In the past, two penalty strokes were given for changing the ball in a situation where substitution with another ball was not allowed, but starting this year, it is one stroke.

The rules of golf are complex and there are many situations that can happen during a round, so it is often confusing. There are cases in which high-pitched voices go back and forth due to conflicts over the application of rules even while betting to relieve boredom. Knowing the rules of golf in your spare time will be of great help not only for rounds of golf, but also for watching the game. The winter season, when the harsh winter season visits, is the right time to ‘study the rules’.