PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has attempted to play down the escalating friction between the new rules of golf and the top professionals, urging patience.
The Honda Classic saw Justin Thomas become the latest and arguably most outspoken critic of the new rules, with the number of incidents on the rise.
Thomas called the new rules ‘rubbish’ before engaging in a ‘Twar’ of sorts with the USGA.
In an unprecedented response to the changes, Rickie Fowler – the first player to be penalised for dropping from shoulder height – mocked the new knee-high drop, with Andrew Landry suggesting the pros take over their Tour and play by their own rules.
Monahan sent a memo, later leaked to the press, calling on players to ‘use your voice constructively during this process’.
His main points:
-This is a collaborative process, one the PGA Tour has been a part of from the beginning, along with all organisations in the world of golf.
-During this process, we put forward a lengthy list of recommendations to improve the rules in many ways, including the removal of numerous penalties, and virtually all our suggestions were incorporated. We also had the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed rules prior to implementation, which resulted in modifications for the final version.
-The R&A and the USGA are our industry partners, and we have pledged to work together through the introduction of these changes and provide feedback every step of the way. We have already achieved positive outcomes this year – most notably, the clarification of the caddie-alignment rule – while we continue to focus on the remaining issues that are causing debate and discussion. None of this is unexpected.
-Our rules officials are the best in the game and are also providing constant feedback to the R&A and USGA as they work through implementing these rules during competition.
-We are committed to playing under these rules as we analyse their effectiveness throughout the entire season, and it’s important to acknowledge we are not at the finish line yet.
-You will continue to have an avenue to voice your questions and concerns, either through the team, the Player Advisory Council, or directly to USGA representatives as they continue to be on site during our events to gather feedback.
