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Leagues and Governing Bodies

R&A, USGA Introduce Law Limiting Use Of Video Evidence

The use of video evidence in golf is "to be limited in the wake of incidents like the one that cost Lexi Thompson victory in a women's major earlier this month," with the "naked eye" being the "determining factor when it comes to rules" rather than TV technology, according to Martin Dempster of the SCOTSMAN. A new "Decision on the Rules of Golf," which takes effect immediately, has been introduced by the R&A and U.S. Golf Association, the sport's two ruling bodies, in a bid to make it "fair for all players when applying the Rules." The step is "effectively a quick fix in the wake of the Thompson incident, which saw the American hit with a four-shot penalty" after an "armchair viewer" reported a ball-marking infringement a day after it happened in the ANA Inspiration in California. However, the R&A and the USGA, along with the main Tours and the PGA of America, are undertaking a "comprehensive review of broader issues that arise in televised competitions, including viewer call-ins," to see if additional steps are required as part of the set of modernized rules being introduced on Jan. 1, 2019 (SCOTSMAN, 4/25). In London, Chris Cutmore reported under the new law, "players can avoid a penalty if the violation could not be noticed with the naked eye," or if rules officials feel players made a "reasonable judgment" in taking a drop or replacing their golf ball on the putting green. An R&A statement read, "So long as the player does what can reasonably be expected under the circumstances to make an accurate determination, the player's reasonable judgment will be accepted, even if later shown to be wrong by the use of video evidence." But whether that means Thompson would have avoided her punishment had the rule been in effect earlier this month is "unclear, as it would still be reliant on whether officials deemed the American's mistake in replacing her ball on the green had been 'reasonable' or not" (DAILY MAIL, 4/25). REUTERS' Martyn Herman reported the golfing authorities, which have established a working group with the women's LPGA Tour, PGA Tour and men's and women's European Tour, "acted because of advances in high resolution super-slowmos available to viewers." Such images could also "theoretically show a player unknowingly striking the ball more than once during a stroke" (REUTERS, 4/25).

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