Page 17 - atoday

SPORTS A17
Tuesday 27 October 2015

New rules ROYAL
TREATMENT
eliminate DQ
Volquez to start World Series opener for Royals
for signing
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Edinson Volquez reacts
wrong card after walking Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista to load the
bases during the sixth inning in Game 5 of baseball’s Ameri-
DOUG FERGUSON can League Championship Series on Wednesday, Oct. 21,
AP Golf Writer 2015, in Toronto.
Golfers no longer face au-
tomatic disqualification for Associated Press
two violations, including an Page 19
incorrect scorecard, under
the latest set of rules that re-
flect a little more leniency
in handing out penalties.
The Royal & Ancient Golf
Club and U.S. Golf Associa-
tion announced changes
to the 2016 edition of the
Rules of Golf, which is up-
dated every four years.
Players will avoid disquali-
fication if the incorrect
scorecard is the result of
penalty strokes they didn’t
know about when they fin-
ished their rounds. The pen-
alty also was softened for
players using artificial de-
vices, such as training aids,
in the middle of the round.
The new rules take effect
Jan. 1. The most notable
addition was Rule 14-1b,
which bans an anchored
stroke used primarily for
long putters. That already
went through an exhaus-
tive discussion and debate
two years ago, along with
some protesting from the
PGA of America that it
would keep some recre-
ational golfers from play-
ing. Changes were made
to 18 of the 34 rules. Most of
them were tweaks, though
there were two instances
when the penalty no lon-
ger is disqualification.
“I think we would take the
view that we’re certainly
always looking to apply
proportionate penalties,
and we’re very conscious
that disqualification is a
very serious situation,” said
David Rickman, executive
director of rules and equip-
ment standards for the
R&A.

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