In that major revamp, the number of Rules was pruned from 34 to 24 and many long-established Rules changed radically, from reducing search time to three minutes and dropping from knee height to putting with the flagstick in without fear of penalty.
Now, The R&A and USGA have reverted to the four-yearly cycle, which means another update as of the start of this year. "It's not quite the dramatic change of 2019, where everyone was having to completely relearn a lot of things," Grant Moir, executive director - governance at The R&A, explains, "but we have been busy refining and hopefully improving in certain areas." The R&A feels that although the 2019 Rules updates have proved largely successful, despite the odd voice of dissent still, there's always room for improvement.
"That's what we've been trying to do these last four years," Moir says. "Some of this is refinement in areas where, perhaps on reflection, we felt we could have done a better job and others where we're just continuing the process of trying to make the Rules easier to understand and apply and, where possible, to relax penalties or outcomes in certain situations." So, did anything on the table end up not changing? "Well, there are inevitably some technical things that we feel we need more time to flesh out," Moir says. "But there isn't anything we've been talking about that hasn't made it into the Rules."
Before we go into detail about five key changes for 2023, it's worth noting that the Player's Edition usually distributed to golf clubs and golfers is no longer being printed. "We're printing four million fewer books than last time," Moir explains. "Our distribution operation is greatly reduced, so that really fits with our emphasis on sustainability at The R&A.
This story is from the February 2023 edition of Golf Monthly.
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This story is from the February 2023 edition of Golf Monthly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is it Time for the Presidents Cup to Be Scrapped? - The next instalment of the USA v Internationals match takes place in Canada at the end of September. But should the one-sided affair continue?
The next instalment of the USA v Internationals match takes place in Canada at the end of September. But should the one-sided affair continue? Why would anyone even suggest such a drastic course of action? It may sound harsh, but since the inaugural event in 1994, the International team has managed just one victory and one tie while the American team has won 12 times, including nine straight from 2005. It is 26 years since the International team's solitary success in 1998 at Royal Melbourne under the captaincy of the late Peter Thomson.
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