GOLF Welcome New Rules For Golf Tournaments

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29748, 15 February 1962, Page 19

GOLF Welcome New Rules For Golf Tournaments

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON. February 14

Penalty strokes instead of disqualification for players who arrive late, and the option of retiring when without a chance, are two welcome new rulings by the Professional Golfers’ Association for tournament play this season.

Instead of being struck out of a tournament altogether if he arrives late, a player will incur a scale of penalty strokes.

There will be two strokes for anything up to 30 minutes late: four strokes if between 31 and 60 minutes late: and a fur’her two penalty strokes for every additional halfhour.

Under the old ruling, p’avers were disquahfied. This meant not only the loss of earning power, but the loss of points for places in the Ryder Cup team against the United States and for invitation tournaments for which there is an order of merit system. The new ruling has been acclaimed by leading professionals

The Ryder Cud captain. D Rees, said: “This is far better than being liable to disqualification These days a disqualification can cost a man a lot of money. After all, when a man is late it is usually through no fault of his own.” The British intematioal. P Alliss, thought the rising scale of penalty strokes a good idea “If it had been left at a flat penalty of two strokes, some players might be tempted to avoid a morning of torrential rain or bad weather and take the rap in the hope of calmer weather later in the day.” he said. Retiring Rule

The new retiring rule has been designed mainly for the

benefit of young professionals, and it will apply only to the qualifying rounds of tournaments.

Professionals who “blow up” and collect a big welcome score may, within reason, retire “gracefully.”

The PGA., feels that there are legitimate hardship cases and they do not wish competitors with no chance of survival to remain in tournaments and incur unneessary expense.

“Our committee is trying to help the younger professional more than anything by releasing them when it would be useless and senseless for them to continue playing following a bad round." said the secretary of the PGA., Colonel H Reed “They will be able to appeal to the tournament committee for release. If there is every justification, the player concerned will be allowed to retire.”

Colonel Reed emphasised that there must not be any abuse, and the promoters of the various tournaments would also have to give their sanction.