BABY STEPS

GOLF was once again left red faced after the Lexi Thompson rules debacle. Not many other sports allow their results to be impacted like that, let alone the following day. Thankfully, the USGA and R&A acted swiftly and issued Decision 34-3/10, which aims to protect players from being penalised for infractions that ‘could not reasonably be seen with the naked eye’. Unfortunately, however, the Decision doesn’t go far enough to prevent similar instances in the future.

For a start, its subjective nature means that cases like Thompson’s will boil down to whether officials believe a player deserves the benefit of the doubt. And, perhaps even more concerning, they are still yet to determine how tournament committees should handle information from outside sources, such as phone calls, social media or emails.

Imagine watching your favourite soccer team being stripped of a trophy because the referee was later advised the match-winning goal should’ve been called offside? Thompson’s incident wasn’t too dissimilar.

The 22-year-old held a two-shot lead in the final round at the ANA Inspiration – the opening major of the season on the LPGA Tour – when she was approached by rules officials on the 13th tee. The LPGA had received an email from a TV viewer advising them that Thompson had misplaced a marked ball on the 17th green during her third round. So, in accordance with the Rules of Golf, the American was thereby penalised four shots – two for the incident itself under Rule 16-1b and two for returning an incorrect scorecard (Rule 6-6d). While most observers didn’t have major issues with the initial penalty, nearly everyone was left baffled as to how she was supposed to know she was signing an incorrect card.

“She signed the correct card at the time,” Steve Stricker said. “Why would you penalise her again when she had no idea she was even being penalised? Once the round is in the books, and signed, we’re over it. What other sport do you go back and change the outcome the day after?”

Thompson teed off in tears, but rallied to fight her way into what became an unsuccessful playoff against South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu. “I have seen the video, and I can see where they’re coming from with it,” Thompson later commented. “It might have been, I guess, me rotating the ball, but like I’ve said, I always played by the Rules of Golf.”

Therein lies the issue. The rules are becoming more and more difficult to adjudicate as technology advances. And while the USGA and R&A’s Decision 34-3/10 is a step in the right direction, it’s time to sort it out once and for all.

When 2019 finally rolls around, let’s hope the Rules of Golf are sufficiently modernised and don’t allow couch officials to determine the outcome of anymore tournaments.