Mixed reaction from pros as USGA, R&A announce drastic proposed rules overhaul

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The Rules of Golf are set to change in a big way, with the USGA and R&A announcing Wednesday that they will overhaul the rules in time for the 2020 edition of the rulebook.

A lot of changes are coming, starting with reducing the number of rules in the book from 34 to 24, trying to simplify the regulations of the game. As part of this overhaul, a number of issues amateurs dislike will be changed or done away with altogether, including being able to repair spike marks, reducing the amount of time given to search for a lost ball from 5 minutes down to 3 minutes, a change in how players drop the ball into play, being able to ground the club in a hazard and more.

The reaction on social media from a variety of recreational players, journalists and other stakeholders was largely positive, lauding making enforcing the game’s rules easier. However, the reaction wasn’t as uniformly approving from professionals, which see some of the changes as ones that don’t jibe with how they play golf.

PGA Tour winner Daniel Berger had a mixed reaction, which a number of pros found to agree with their first blush to the changes.

Maybe there should be professional rules and amateur rules because I'm not getting a good vibe about some of these proposed changes

— Daniel Berger (@DanielBerger59) March 1, 2017

Agree with this. Some rules good, others not crazy about ( fixing spike marks will be abused, grounding club in bunkers) https://t.co/egpjlRm6V9

— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) March 1, 2017

Graham DeLaet advocated for the PGA Tour — or the professional tours together — to adopt their own rules and break away from the USGA and R&A’s rulebook.

We should have our own book and distance ourselves from amateur governing bodies. https://t.co/ss8YUdRjQC

— Graham DeLaet (@GrahamDeLaet) March 1, 2017

I think the changes are moving the right direction for golf, but I think professional golf should have its own book

— Graham DeLaet (@GrahamDeLaet) March 1, 2017

The reaction was slightly more mixed on the LPGA Tour, where caddies are allowed to line up their players before each shot. Not every LPGA caddie does it, and not every LPGA player appreciates that players can do it. However, in the new edition of the Rules, caddies won’t be allowed to line up their players, as the governing bodies want to put more emphasis on the players’ skill of alignment.

Two-time major winner Brittany Lincicome, who uses her caddie Missy Pederson to line her up, had the most vociferous reaction against this particular change.

@Karrie_Webb I'm sorry but I need it. And I'm fast. That's not the Reason people are slow

— Brittany Lincicome (@Brittany1golf) March 1, 2017

The game’s governing bodies have a four-year rules cycle, meaning the new edition of the rules won’t be adopted until 2019 and enforced starting Jan. 1, 2020.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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