PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA | Davis Love III can remember a time when golf’s organizing bodies would not have reacted the way they did to the brush fire that erupted last weekend when Denny McCarthy was a victim of the game’s new rules, getting penalized for his caddie standing behind him as he contemplated his shot.
The penalty was applied on Friday afternoon at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, rescinded on Saturday and by Wednesday, Rule 10.2b (4) had been clarified by the USGA and the R&A to assure it is fairly applied.
“It used to be like, no, we’re not going to change. We have a rules cycle of every 10 years or whatever and we won’t change it until then. Too bad. Now they have a different attitude,” Love said Thursday at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, where he posted an opening 71 in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The McCarthy penalty, which followed a penalty on Li Haotong in a European Tour event for the same violation, brought into sharp focus the strict interpretation being applied to a rules change that had a simple intent – to prevent caddies from standing behind players to make sure they are properly aligned, a tactic that had become prevalent on the LPGA Tour.
In clarifying the rule, the language wasn’t changed but the intent was more broadly defined so as not to penalize players for unintended actions.
“For a player to get penalized almost inadvertently because the caddie was back there, that was not (the intention),” USGA CEO Mike Davis said Thursday. “It’s not as if we really changed the language of how the rule is written. We just clarified that this is what we mean, this is what we don’t mean.
“The feedback we got over the last couple of years with respect to that rule was people didn’t like the idea of caddies lining up players on every shot. It was a principle behind the game. That’s one of the things like reading putts. It’s really a part of the game, thus the greens reading material (rule). We just felt in this case the player’s ability to line him or herself up was part of the game.”
When the tour penalized Denny McCarthy, it heightened the focus on a rule that required a softer interpretation.
The clarification allows for a caddie to be behind a player as he studies a shot but there is no violation if the caddie steps away before the player “begins taking a stance for the stroke” and the caddie is not deliberately behind the player to aid in alignment.
The process of enacting the game’s new rules stretched over years and involved input from people and organizations around the world. There were multiple drafts of the changes with some ideas adopted, others dismissed.
Though the USGA and the R&A led the oversight, the PGA Tour had an active role in the process. Representatives from the tour sat in on meetings and offered input. When the tour penalized McCarthy, it heightened the focus on a rule that required a softer interpretation.
Anticipating an adjustment period in professional golf, the PGA Tour had USGA rules officials on site at each event through the Waste Management Phoenix Open to help with rules situations.
While the McCarthy situation drew most of the attention – among the reasons his penalty was rescinded was evidence of similar “violations” by other players in the field – the resolution demonstrated a willingness to make adjustments.
“I’m proud of the fact that everybody worked together and worked quickly. We were nimble and we got to the right place,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said Thursday.
As a player, Jordan Spieth said, “any clarification is helpful.”
Davis said rules makers anticipated some issues as the new rules were put into effect.
“Going in, we knew there were certain things that were going to come up that you’d say we’re not sure we contemplated this or the intention was never to have this outcome, the example being the caddie behind the player,” Davis said.
“All in all, in terms of how they’re being perceived around the globe, it’s very positive.”
There have been instances when the new rules have helped players. Webb Simpson accidentally kicked his ball in the rough during the Sentry Tournament of Champions, a penalty under the old rules but not the new ones.
At the European Tour event in Dubai, one player inadvertently kicked his ball in the rough and his playing companion hit a shot that bounced off a tree and came back to hit the player. Neither player was penalized under the new rules.
What happened with the McCarthy situation could be compared to what happens when Apple introduces a new product. Despite the research done in preparation for a launch, it’s not uncommon for bugs to pop up that require attention. It’s the same with golf.
“It simplified a lot of the rules but we still have to learn them and apply them,” Love said.
“For the average guy, it really doesn’t matter. He’s out playing for fun and his caddie may be behind him. For us, we get caught on TV and we get penalized. It’s almost harder for us because we have new rules we have to figure out.
“It’s nice that they’re helping us get used to it. Hey, that didn’t work so let’s adjust.”