Today, the USGA and R&A changed the Rules of Golf by enacting a decision intended to limit the use of video review and, the game’s governing bodies hope, stem the tide of rulings prompted by viewers calling in infractions. The change goes into effect immediately.

According to Thomas Pagel, USGA senior director of rules, who spoke with The Global Golf Post: “This decision is introducing two new standards. One is a ‘naked-eye’ standard, which says if the player didn’t feel and couldn’t have seen a breach, and the person standing next to that player couldn’t have seen the breach, either, there should not be a penalty as that player should not be held to a higher standard than every other player on the course simply because we became aware of the breach through television evidence.”

“The second standard is called a ‘reasonable judgement standard,’ ” Pagel said. “That essentially says: As players, we’re expected to make a lot of decisions, a lot of estimations, and we often do those pretty quickly. If we’re applying the rules correctly and doing so in a reasonable manner, then the player should not be held to a higher standard (than everybody else) if television evidence shows that they got it just slightly wrong.”

HOORAY for the USGA an R&A for acting quickly!!!!