USGA, R&A issue new "Tiger" rule
Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:54 pmHere's the problem. When you are the most watched player in the sport you have cameras following every shot in high definition.
Golf isn't like other sports. A golfer can be penalized after the fact for not calling a penalty on himself, even if he didn't know he broke a rule.
If Joe Blow breaks a rule and no cameras are around to see it he will get away with it. If Tiger Woods breaks a rule there will be a high definition camera recording every millimeter. And the camera can see things that the player can't see. Someone watching on his 500 inch high def monitor can see a blade of grass move and call tournament officials to report a breach.
The new rule, effective worldwide, provides, "where enhanced technological evidence (e.g. HDTV, digital recording or online visual media, etc.) shows that a ball has left its position and come to rest in another location, the ball will not be deemed to have moved if that movement was not reasonably discernible to the naked eye at the time."
Golf isn't like other sports. A golfer can be penalized after the fact for not calling a penalty on himself, even if he didn't know he broke a rule.
If Joe Blow breaks a rule and no cameras are around to see it he will get away with it. If Tiger Woods breaks a rule there will be a high definition camera recording every millimeter. And the camera can see things that the player can't see. Someone watching on his 500 inch high def monitor can see a blade of grass move and call tournament officials to report a breach.
The new rule, effective worldwide, provides, "where enhanced technological evidence (e.g. HDTV, digital recording or online visual media, etc.) shows that a ball has left its position and come to rest in another location, the ball will not be deemed to have moved if that movement was not reasonably discernible to the naked eye at the time."