Look into the Heart of Golf
My Friday scripture: “Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”
Wouldn’t it be nice, with apologies to The Beach Boys, if we could look into the heart of people and their actions before we make decisions?
After answering so many calls about the U.S. Open ruling and listening to the commentary on radio and television, I felt the need to respond.
Heeding Samuel’s message, I won’t be impressed with looks and stature of the incident; rather, I will look at the heart of the matter. Sorry, Don Henley, but the words fit like a Cadet Medium.
First and foremost, the ruling was correct. As USGA Executive Director Mike Davis suggested, the timing was not. Decision 18-2/0.5 offers insight. A good read.
As we look into the heart, the USGA, PGA and R & A try to get it right, and they revise, review and read rules every day trying to make them easier to understand and easier to interpret.
Rule 18-2 is a perfect example. The rule in question has seen some change in the last few years, and I’m sure it will undergo scrutiny again.
As a USGA rules official, I understand the complexities. Golf is not played in a gym or on a 100-yard surface with lines every ten yards.
Back to 18-2. The smartest minds continue to work on the Rules of Golf. The clouts want to “get it right.” Before changes, if a player addressed the ball and it moved, a penalty ensued, even if the wind pushed it along its way on a green measuring 14 on a Stimp. Now, the player is absolved in certain situations. Read the decision.
Maybe we need “Directly Attributable” terminology within the rule. Was the movement of the ball at rest directly attributable to actions of the player?
I haven’t met an average golfer who would agree that DJ caused the ball to move. The USGA, PGA and R & A will look at the heart of the matter. The USGA will follow its “big bogey” with a birdie, or at least turn the rule into a par.
This story was originally published July 7, 2016 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Look into the Heart of Golf."