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LONDON - Golf's myriad regulations will get a tweak after the Royal and Ancient (R&A) issued amendments today to its rulebook for 2008.
In an attempt to make penalties more proportionate to the offences the R&A, in conjunction with the United States Golf Association, has amended 28 of its 34 playing rules.
Of the more significant changes, the penalty for the accidental deflection of the ball by a player, his partner, their caddies or equipment has been reduced from two strokes to one.
The law famously caught out Jeff Maggert in the final round of the 2003 US Masters when he was penalised two strokes after his bunker shot at the third caught the lip and rebounded back into his chest.
The American ended up with a triple-bogey seven to ruin his victory chances.
Another change reduces the punishment for carrying, but not using, a non-conforming club from disqualification to a two-stroke penalty per hole with a maximum penalty of four strokes per round.
Players will also now be allowed to lift a ball in a bunker or water hazard for "identification purposes".
- REUTERS
