As you all know by now, 2019 will start with many changes in the Rules of Golf. I will spend the next months to explain in detail the new rules.
Last week, the USGA and R&A have issued a new statement questioning the use of the green reading books. Some players take a lot of time to read those information and the USGA and R&A think it takes away the green reading skills.
COMMENTS
Sometimes I think those organisations don’t want us to use all the available tools available to facilitate the playing of that difficult sport.
EXAMPLE: Anchoring the putter
In 2013, USGA and R&A decided that using the long putter and anchoring a point on your body was giving the player a too big advantage. They banned the anchoring and many golfers came back to the smaller putter.
Many players on the Champions Tour are angry over that rule because some player continued to use the long putter and many think those players are cheating. (Langer, McCarron, etc).
Two weeks ago, a PGA Tour player, the Canadian David Hearn had to explain to the Rules Committee how his stroke was made because some players felt he was cheating…
For me it is very difficult to see if a player using a long putter is anchoring….I have difficulties to give the benefit of the doubt to the player!
And now, we will have another rule to control the information available in a green reading book! Official will have to have a look at all the books available? Is golf getting too easy…
The USGA and R&A want to help Pace of Play and they feel that book an issue? I personally think that many organisations don’t put the proper effort to take rid of slow play and this book is only a very small reason. PGA Tour should give the example for getting rid of slow play.
