R&A: Rules Simplication Conclusions Coming

Lost in R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson's comments Tuesday--where he filled select press members on the importance of male-only bonding time, how the IGF intends to help Rory decide who he'll represent in 2016, how the powerbrokers are bickering and the status of Vijay's case--Dawson said that the recent Tiger Woods incident at Augusta certainly won't hurt the sub-committee efforts to push for rules simplification.

From an unbylined Scotsman report:

“Despite having a rulebook this thick, something new does happen from time to time in golf,” admitted Peter Dawson, who was on duty as a rules official himself at the season’s opening major a fortnight ago. “This whole issue of complexity of the rules is important. We are actually doing a study at the moment with the USGA and the professional game to see if we feel that the rules can be materially simplified. The group working on that is just about to come to a conclusion about whether we can go forward with that and there is a lot of excitement about it.”

Also worth noting are these comments reported in the Irish Examiner:

“I know many will say we were late doing this and that is unarguably true,” Dawson said. “But we did react to an upsurge in the use of these anchored strokes and one might say it’s never too late to try to do the right thing.”

He is absolutely right. But will he say the same thing about distance?

Players who currently use long or belly putters have talked of possible legal action if the ban comes into force, but Dawson said: “Threats of legal action don’t affect rule-making, that’s done on what the rules people consider is the best interests of the future of the game.

“The relationship between the R&A and USGA is at an all-time high.”

Heartwarming!