How one bad swing gave Tiger, Phil, Jordan and Rickie new hope

A new year has brought changes to the Rules of Golf. The Rules are revised every four years, and the changes that took effect Jan. 1 are the first since the major overhaul of 2019. There are fewer changes this year, but they continue the trend of simplifying the game and reducing the number of head-scratching penalties that send social media ablaze. With this week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions being the first PGA TOUR event played under the most recent revisions, here’s a quick look at the changes that could come into effect during PGA TOUR competition. 1. Ball at rest rolls to another area of the course after being dropped or placed If a ball is at rest after being dropped, placed or replaced and then natural forces cause it to roll to another area of the course, it must now be replaced. There is no penalty. This rule comes into effect when the ball rolls into a penalty area, into a bunker, onto a putting green or out of bounds. This change was made by the governing bodies in response to the situations that impacted Rickie Fowler and Charley Hoffman at the WM Phoenix Open, where a ball at rest after a player took relief rolled back into a penalty area. Under the old rule, this resulted in a one-stroke penalty for each player. Fowler’s situation happened in the final round of his victory at the 2019 WM Phoenix Open, after he hit his third shot into the water on TPC Scottsdale’s 11th hole. He took a drop outside the penalty area, but his ball rolled back into the water while he was surveying his next shot. He was penalized another shot and then had to take relief again. Fowler eventually made a 17-footer for triple-bogey, but still went on to win the tournament. Under the new rule, Fowler would not have been penalized for his ball rolling back into the water after he had taken a drop. He would have been allowed to replace his ball without penalty. 2. Unsigned scorecard A Local Rule will be adopted on the major Tours that reduces the penalty for returning a scorecard without the signature of the player and/or marker from disqualification to two strokes. The penalty will be applied to the final hole of the round. The hole scores recorded in each box on the scorecard must still be correct. 3. Committee-approved yardage books A Committee-approved yardage book from either 2022 or 2023 may be used in competition this year. The Committee-approved yardage books were introduced in January 2022 as part of a Local Rule that limited the amount of information about a green’s contours allowed in yardage books. Greens diagrams in the approved books show minimal detail about a green. The Local Rule also limits the handwritten notes that players and caddies can add to their approved yardage books. 4. Setting down objects to help with aiming or line of play An object must not be set down to help a player take a stance for a stroke, aim a shot or to show the line of play. For example, a penalty applies as soon as a towel is placed down to show a player the line of play for a blind shot. Laying down a club for alignment purposes while addressing the ball is still illegal. This year’s rule emphasizes that drawing lines in dew or sand to aid in alignment are also illegal. Under the previous rule, a player could set down an object on his line of play to help aim before attempting a blind shot, but it had to be removed before he started his stroke. Now an object cannot be set down at any time to assist with aiming a shot. A caddie can still assist his player with aiming by standing in a player’s intended line before the stroke begins, provided he moves away before the player begins his stroke. 5. Back-on-the-line relief procedure The procedure for taking relief back-on-the-line has been simplified. Back-on-the-line relief is an option for an unplayable ball and also is a commonly-used option for relief from penalty areas. It allows a player to drop back on a straight line from the hole through the spot where the ball lies. The player must now drop a ball on the line. Once the ball is dropped on the line, it may roll up to one club-length in any direction from that spot, including closer to the hole. 6. Distance measuring devices in pro-ams As it is a common practice in the game of golf today, amateurs and their caddies will be allowed to use distance measuring devices during competition at The American Express and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. However, the professionals and their caddies cannot get advice from a distance measuring device or greens book used by an amateur or their caddie during these tournaments.

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DETROIT – The PGA TOUR and Rocket Mortgage, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, today announced an extension of the title sponsorship for the Rocket Mortgage Classic through 2027. Detroit’s PGA TOUR event will continue to benefit local residents through its commitment to bridging the digital divide in the community. “From the very beginning, Dan Gilbert’s vision was to bring a world-class golf event to Detroit, shining a light on the city and raising money for partners doing amazing work in our community. Since then, Rocket Mortgage, the tournament team and the PGA TOUR have all worked tirelessly to establish an event that has a lasting impact on golf fans as well as neighborhoods throughout Detroit,” said Jay Farner, CEO of Rocket Mortgage and Rocket Companies. “We have built tremendous momentum and won multiple awards for our event from the PGA TOUR. But, more importantly, we have been able to take on very important initiatives, like helping to bridge the digital divide in Detroit. We are looking forward to seeing the impacts of this tremendous event for many more years to come.” The Rocket Mortgage Classic, which saw Cameron Davis win his first PGA TOUR event in 2021, will continue to focus on its Changing the Course initiative. This program aims to end the digital divide in Detroit by making data-driven investments into the city and philanthropic partners that assist in providing technology, internet access and digital literacy training to residents. The goal is to ensure residents have access to these tools within a 15-minute walk of their home. Charitable proceeds raised from the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic totaled over $2.7 million, surpassing the $1.2 million that was raised from the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic. More than $3.5 million of these proceeds were invested directly into Detroit and Southeast Michigan-based organizations. Funds are disbursed by the Rocket Giving Fund, the 501(c)(3) host organization that manages the Rocket Mortgage Classic. One of the primary initiatives of the Rocket Giving Fund is EBB 313, which is operated by Connect 313 Fund. This program subsidizes the cost of internet and technological devices for eligible households in Detroit. EBB 313 is the first and only campaign in the country that has streamlined and systemized access to the federal government’s Emergency Broadband Benefit. This significantly reduces the cost to digital access and opportunity, one of the primary barriers for those who currently do not have the necessary materials needed to be connected. Connect 313 Fund is a collaborative organization founded by the City of Detroit, the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Rocket Companies, Microsoft and the United Way of Southeastern Michigan. “The Rocket Mortgage Classic is an unparalleled opportunity to highlight all the great work taking place in Detroit, one of the great sports towns in America, and we’re excited to continue our partnership with Rocket Mortgage and the Rocket Mortgage Classic through 2027,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Thanks to today’s extension, the Rocket Giving Fund will continue to provide significant technological benefits for the citizens of Detroit through the Connect 313 Fund. We are proud that the Rocket Mortgage Classic has been a leader from day one in ensuring – through its work with local businesses and community leaders – that the tournament represents the diversity of the community.” The inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2019 won the PGA TOUR’s “Fair Way Award,” recognizing it as the leader in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and setting the bar for all PGA TOUR events by hiring Michigan-based, Detroit-based and minority owned businesses. The goal of the Rocket Mortgage Classic is to be reflective of and benefit the businesses and entrepreneurs that serve as the backbone of the local community. “The Rocket Mortgage Classic continues to get better by the year, and we expect this incredible momentum to maintain as we build the preeminent event on the PGA TOUR,” said Jason Langwell, Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “Our roster of the world’s best players continues to grow, the Detroit Golf Club’s classic layout is becoming a player favorite and our tournament has become the must-attend event of the summer.” Rocket Mortgage has been a PGA TOUR partner since 2014. The Rocket Mortgage Classic debuted in Detroit in 2019, following the Quicken Loans National in the Metro Washington D.C. area where the company was title sponsor from 2014-18. Rocket Mortgage will also continue its multifaceted partnership with the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions as its Official Mortgage Sponsor. Rocket Mortgage is a prominent advertiser on PGA TOUR telecasts and across PGA TOUR social and digital channels. Additionally, Rocket Mortgage golf brand ambassadors include Bryson DeChambeau, Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson.

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He doesn’t even like using the word “slump.” But with more solid rounds, like Thursday’s 66 at the Memorial, Jordan Spieth gets closer to putting whatever it was behind him.

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