Rules – Golfing Agency

R&A updates Rules of Golf for 2023

detlef32 — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 16:22:25 +0000

The R&A has unveiled an update to the Rules of Golf as its continues to try to make the rules easier to understand and apply for the regular club golfer.

The 2023 edition, which comes into effect on January 1, continues the modernisation process, with an emphasis on both inclusion and sustainability. For the first time, the modified rules for players with disabilities have been fully incorporated into the rules without the need to adopt a local rule.

Several penalties have been relaxed and language has been clarified to help golfers at all levels of play. The key changes include:

• Modifications for Players with Disabilities: The modifications to the Rules for players with disabilities have been made part of the Rules and are in effect for all players who are classified in the categories covered in Rule 25.

• Handicap Usage in Stroke Play: With the continued growth of score-posting technology following the adoption of the World Handicap System, players are no longer penalised for failing to put their handicap on their scorecard in stroke play. The committee will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of each player’s handicap.

• Club Damaged During Round: The rule has been amended to allow a player to replace a club that is damaged during a round, provided the player did not damage it through abuse.

• Ball Moved by Natural Forces: A new exception provides that a ball at rest must be replaced if it moves to another area of the course or comes to rest out of bounds after being dropped, placed or replaced.

• Back-on-the-Line Relief Procedure: The back-on-the-line relief procedure, often used for penalty area and unplayable ball relief, has been simplified so that the player now drops their ball on the line, and the ball must come to rest within one club-length of where it is dropped.

Grant Moir, Director of Rules at The R&A, said: “We are continuing to improve and adapt the Rules of Golf to ensure they are in line with the way the modern game is played. That means making the Rules easier to understand and access for all golfers and making the sport more inclusive and welcoming for golfers with disabilities. We are also working to ensure golf has a sustainable long-term future and making more resources available digitally is key to achieving that goal.”

The current edition of the Rules of Golf (2019) still applies when playing or posting scores for the remainder of 2022. Golfers can find out more about the major changes and review the official 2023 Rules of Golf by visiting randa.org.

Source link

No, You Can’t Use a Tee on The Fairway (Rules Explained)

detlef32 — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 04:56:11 +0000

A golf tee is a really helpful piece of golf equipment that offers some help in getting the ball up off the ground.

However, to use a golf tee on the fairway is not part of the legal rules in the game. Although we all would like a little extra help from the tee, it’s only available to use on a tee shot.

Let’s take a more detailed look at when you can use a tee and whether or not you even should be using one.

When You Can Use a Tee in Golf

A golf tee can only be used on the tee box when standing between the tee markers. The golf tee is used as a way to start your hole, but it is never used again until you make it to the next tee box.

Amateur golfers that are new to the sport are often confused by when and where to use a tee. If you remember the simple rule that you can only use a tee from a tee box, it should be easy to get this down.

The reason that the USGA put this rule into place was to help golfers get a perfect lie for the start of their hole. Whether you are teeing off with a driver, 5 wood, or even iron, as long as you are on the tee box, you won’t have to worry about using a tee.

The tee box is the area created by the two tee markers; it extends back two club lengths to make a rectangular box known as the teeing ground.

Some golfers will use a tee on the putting green to mark their ball or to fix a pitch mark on the green. However, this is a different use of the tee, and that would be considered legal in the rules of golf.

Do You Have to Use a Tee on a Tee Shot?

There is nothing in the rules of golf that states that you must use a tee on your tee shot. This part of the process is entirely up to you. However, the majority of golfers will use the tee as it can help promote more accuracy in the golf shot being hit.

When you use a golf tee, there is just a bit more confidence that players will have about their ability to make solid contact with the ball.

When using a driver, 3 wood, or even a hybrid off the tee box, there is no denying the fact that a tee is necessary. However, some golfers that play a par 3 hole with an iron will consider skipping the tee.

This personal decision will be impacted a bit depending on what type of player you are and the angles in your swing.

Can You Use a Driver on The Fairway?

Although it is a rare shot, some golfers will think about using a driver on the fairway.

I have to admit that many years ago, this was a much easier shot to pull off than it is today. In fact, I used to play this shot from time to time.

However, the USGA changed the size of a legal golf club head, and as soon as that was done, the concept of hitting a driver off the fairway became a more difficult one. Players all of a sudden were having to swing a 460cc head on a shaft that is typically 45 inches long and expect to get the ball up off the ground.

This is hard to do!

If you have an older, smaller head driver that happens to be in your bag, hitting off the fairway may be considerably easier. These are more like a modern 3 wood and a bit easier to hit on the fairway.

One tip of advice with hitting a driver off the fairway is that this is not a percentage shot, so be careful with what is in front of you and analyze the risk and reward.

How High Should I Tee My Golf Ball?

The golf ball should be teed high enough that the ball can hit the center of the clubface but not too high that you miss the sweet spot. Some players struggle with this exact height, and some tees have markers or indicators on them to help you with the height.

For the driver, I like to place the tee so that the ball is about halfway above the top of the driver’s head. This allows me to swing up on the golf ball and still hit the center of the clubface. Most of the time a low friction driver tee is best to help with additional distance.

When it comes to irons and hybrids, the height of the tee does not need to be nearly as high. In fact, with the iron shot, it’s best to simply have the ball resting on the ground just held up by the tee.

If you tee the ball incredibly high with an iron, you may miss the distance and spin you expect with the club.

Can A Beginner Use A Tee On A Fairway?

Sometimes new golfers head out to the golf course with a professional and work on the basics of the course. The pro may offer to tee you up in the fairway as opposed to the tee box just to make sure the shot into the green is considerably shorter.

This is often seen with juniors at golf courses with no junior golf tees up close to the green. Therefore it makes sense for golfers to think about using a tee on the fairway to set the player up close to the hole.

Of course, this will not be acceptable in the USGA rules of golf, but it is also not a tournament situation. If you are teaching a young junior to play, feel free to tee them up 100 yards from the hole in the fairway and see how they do learning the game from this position.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.

Source link

2022 Presidents Cup schedule, dates, format, teams, rules, pairings, expert picks, odds

detlef32 — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 01:16:49 +0000

The 2022 Presidents Cup is finally upon us after three long years of anticipation. A heavily favored United States side looks to hold onto the cup after a dramatic 16-14 victory at Royal Melbourne in 2019, while an up-and-coming international team will be out to shock the golf world.

In the time since the last event occurred, the U.S. has retooled its arsenal and introduced young stars such as Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young and Max Homa. They will play in unison with familiar faces such as Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau as all 12 Americans find themselves inside the top 25 of the OWGR.

While the Americans have added firepower, the international team has lost some of its own. In place of the losses, Sungjae Im, Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott will lead their squad into Quail Hollow Club and hope to build on nearly winning the international’s first Presidents Cup since 1998 and only the second all-time.

Featuring eight rookies, the international team is a massive underdog in Charlotte. While not unusual, this year’s Presidents Cup brings on a new feel as it finally felt as if the U.S. counterparts were ready to dethrone the 11-time champions. With outside forces at hand, a one-sided affair is all but likely to occur.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know for the week ahead at Quail Hollow Club, and be sure to follow live Presidents Cup scores and results with four-ball on Day 2.

2022 Presidents Cup schedule, format

All times Eastern

Thursday: Foursomes — 1-6 p.m.
Friday: Fourball — 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: Foursomes and fourball — 7 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday: Singles — 12-6 p.m.

Fourball: Teams of two face off against each other with every competitor playing their own golf ball. Each side will take the lower of the two scores for that specific hole. For example: If Jordan Spieth cards a birdie while his teammate Justin Thomas makes bogey, and both Sungjae Im and Hideki Matsuyama make par, the U.S. team wins the hole.

Foursomes: The more difficult of the two team formats. Teammates will play a single golf ball and alternate shots until the hole is completed. Players switch off hitting tee shots no matter who made the final putt on the prior hole. Typically, the better iron players will line up to tee off on the majority of the par 3s while strong drivers kick off the par 5s. Scoring remains the same and is the standard match play.

Singles: One-on-one matches over 18 holes. What is seen at the U.S. Amateur or WGC Match Play.

Check out the complete Presidents Cup TV schedule and coverage guide.

2022 Presidents Cup teams

Scottie Scheffler	1	Hideki Matsuyama	17
Patrick Cantlay	4	Sungjae Im	19
Xander Schauffele	5	Tom Kim	22
Justin Thomas	7	Corey Conners	26
Collin Morikawa	9	Adam Scott	30
Sam Burns	12	K.H. Lee	43
Jordan Spieth	13	Mito Pereira	49
Tony Finau	14	Sebastian Munoz	63
Billy Horschel	15	Cameron Davis	66
Max Homa	16	Christiaan Bezuidenhout	67
Cameron Young	18	Si Woo Kim	76
Kevin Kisner	25	Taylor Pendrith	109

2022 Presidents Cup course

Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been a fixture on the PGA Tour, hosting the Wells Fargo Championship on an annual basis. Redesigned by Tom Fazio in 2016 in preparation for the PGA Championship, it measures 7,576 yards and plays to a par 71. Known for its finishing stretch of holes Nos. 16-18, “The Green Mile” has been moved up on the scorecard and will play as Nos. 13-15 to ensure competitors will see them in the match play format.

Presidents Cup history

With its victory at Royal Melbourne in 2019, the U.S. has compiled 11-1-1 record in the Presidents Cup. Despite the lopsided win total, there have been a couple close calls in recent memory, including the 16-14 affair in 2019 and the 15.5-14.5 bout in South Korea in 2015. The international team has struggled mightily on U.S. soil, and have not gotten within two points since the second Presidents Cup in 1996.

2022 Presidents Cup odds, favorites

Prop bets are abundant for the Presidents Cup, and Caesars Sportsbook has provided a handful in which to indulge. Here are three of my favorites.

1. Top Points Scorer — Sungjae Im (18-1): He is the international team’s best player, and will have to play in all five sessions if it’s are to have a chance. I love his fit for Quail Hollow, and could see him being paired with Tom Kim in what would form a formidable South Korean duo.

2. Day 1 Winner — Tie (25/4): If the internationals come close in any session, it should be the very first one. Without expectations, the visiting team will be able to freewheel around Quail Hollow and send out its stoutest lineup. At longer than 6-1, I don’t mind suggesting it hold serve on Thursday.

3. Day 2 Winner — USA (4/9): The 2/15 price on U.S. to win the Presidents Cup is steep, so instead target them in the preferred team format. The U.S. has made its hay in fourball throughout the years, and this time around should be no different given the substantial edge in skill and continuity.

Pairings to watch

Check out Day 1 pairings for foursomes.

Not Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth: While they may be best friends, they also cannibalize each other’s skillsets. Their partnership was one of the few lowlights in the U.S. victory at the 2021 Ryder Cup, and it may be time to separate the two most experienced members of this team.

Hideki Matsuyama vs. Justin Thomas in Singles: The two duked it out in the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, and I would love to see them run it back. It could easily turn into a ball-striking exhibition to remember.

Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa: Dustin Johnson went 5-0-0 at the 2021 Ryder Cup thanks in part to his partnership with Morikawa. Young, being adequately long off the tee and proficient on the greens, could seemingly fill the void left by Johnson. This could be the beginning of a very long and successful marriage for the two 25-year-olds.

2022 Presidents Cup prediction

It is hard to imagine the U.S. not winning this Presidents Cup, but I reckon it will not be as easy as most are projecting. After stumbling out of the gates on Thursday, the Americans figure things out over the weekend and win to the tune of 17.5-12.5.

Source link

2022 Presidents Cup schedule, dates, format, rules, teams, pairings, expert picks, odds

detlef32 — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 10:38:46 +0000

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know for the week ahead at Quail Hollow Club.

2022 Presidents Cup schedule, format

All times Eastern

Thursday: Foursomes — 1-6 p.m.
Friday: Fourball — 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: Foursomes and fourball — 7 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday: Singles — 12-6 p.m.

Singles: One-on-one matches over 18 holes. What is seen at the U.S. Amateur or WGC Match Play.

2022 Presidents Cup teams

Scottie Scheffler	1	Hideki Matsuyama	17
Patrick Cantlay	4	Sungjae Im	19
Xander Schauffele	5	Tom Kim	22
Justin Thomas	7	Corey Conners	26
Collin Morikawa	9	Adam Scott	30
Sam Burns	12	K.H. Lee	43
Jordan Spieth	13	Mito Pereira	49
Tony Finau	14	Sebastian Munoz	63
Billy Horschel	15	Cameron Davis	66
Max Homa	16	Christiaan Bezuidenhout	67
Cameron Young	18	Si Woo Kim	76
Kevin Kisner	25	Taylor Pendrith	109

2022 Presidents Cup course

Presidents Cup history

2022 Presidents Cup odds, favorites

Prop bets are abundant for the Presidents Cup, and Caesars Sportsbook has provided a handful in which to indulge. Here are three of my favorites.

Pairings to watch

2022 Presidents Cup prediction

Source link

Top 10 New Golf Rules You Should Know

detlef32 — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 16:57:44 +0000

It’s 2019 and that means the new golf rules are now in effect. The new rules hope to clarify ambiguous language that was part of the old rules. Before you head to the course, here’s a quick preview of some of the new golf rules. A full list of rule changes can also be found here.

Learning the New Golf Rules Before Your Next Round

Repairing Damage

Spike marks and other damage can be repaired on the green without penalty.

Drop-Off Height

Drops can now be taken from knee-length instead of shoulder height.

Staying Grounded

There is no longer a penalty for grounding your club in a water hazard.

Taking Out Bunker Impediments or Your Golf Ball

Players can remove loose impediments around their ball in a bunker. They can also avoid the bunker by taking a two-stroke penalty.

Pin It

It’s now the players’ option to leave the flagstick in the pin.

Looking for a Lost Ball

Golfers will now have 3 minutes to search for a lost ball.

Caddie Assistance

When a player takes their stance, the caddie cannot stand behind them to help with the alignment. That now results in a penalty.

The Double-Chip

Golfers will no longer be charged a penalty for a double chip. It will just count as one stroke.

The Putting Line

Touching the putting line is no longer a penalty. Caddies, however, cannot stand behind or be an extension of the putting line.

Accidents On The Green

There isn’t a penalty if the ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved. The same rule applies to a lost ball.

These rule changes are to help with the pace of the game, as well as to modernize golf. Some rules haven’t changed, however, most notably the “play the ball as it lies” rule. This rule has remained the same to keep some of golf’s traditions.

Source link