Ruling bodies limiting video evidence

In a swift response to increasing debates over television reviews, golf ’s ruling bodies issued a new decision on the Rules of Golf that limits the use of video evidence and could spare players from being penalized even if they violated a rule.

The decision — issued Tuesday and effective immediately on all tours around the world — has two standards.

Players can avoid a penalty if the violation could not be noticed with the naked eye. That would have spared Anna Nordqvist a two-shot penalty during a playoff in the U.S. Women’s Open last year when her club nicked the sand while she was playing from a fairway bunker.

Rules officials also can eliminate penalties if they feel players made a “reasonable judgment” in taking a drop or replacing their golf balls on the putting green.

“We’re all responsible for applying rules and calling penalties on ourselves,” said Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s senior director of rules. “When dealing with video evidence, should we be holding players to a high standard simply because they’re on television?”

Top officials had discussed these new standards over the last five years during a rules modernization project. The new set of rules, once it goes through a public comment period, is to take effect in 2019.

The USGA and R&A decided not to wait.

The catalyst for such quick action was Lexi Thompson, although it was not clear if she would have been exonerated from a four-shot penalty with six holes to play in the ANA Inspiration earlier this month.

Thompson had a 15-inch par putt on the 17th hole in the third round when she stooped to mark the ball, then quickly replaced it about an inch away. A TV viewer contacted the LPGA Tour the next day, and officials determined it was a violation.

Thompson was assessed a two-shot penalty, and because it happened the day before, she received a two-shot penalty for signing an incorrect scorecard. She went from a three-shot lead to one shot behind, then lost to So Yeon Ryu in a playoff.