Golf History – End of Viewer Complaints

“There’s no other sport where anybody can call in and say, ‘oh that was a foul.’ It just doesn’t happen, and I don’t know why [golf] is the exception.” Jimmy Walker.

Anybody Can Call In

I remember feeling anger at the injustice of some shocking outcomes for golfers in tournaments, when viewers rang in to report infringements they witnessed, while watching the event on tv. Slow motion playback after playback did indeed see the ball move a tiny fraction, or a ball placed in a slightly incorrect position after a long delay in play. These call-ins, prior to the law change, resulted in the golfer being penalized by strokes, in some cases costing the player victory due to disqualification.

History

For decades, in a desire to maintain fairness, professional golf allowed television viewers to report alleged rule violations during tournaments. Controversial outcomes and widespread criticism are what eventuated. No other sport, including tennis and baseball, allowed viewer input in any form to have such an influence as what golf permitted.

The power did not belong to the tournament officials, the governing body, to the players, to anyone in an official capacity; the power resided in the viewer. Officials’ response was reactionary, hamstrung by the rules of the day. Viewers seemed to know more about golf’s rules than the officials or demanded rules be complied with and players penalized.

Famous Cases

Several controversial cases highlighted the flaws in permitting viewer complaints:

• Lexi Thompson (2017 ANA Inspiration): Penalized four strokes due to a viewer email; lost in a playoff.

• Tiger Woods (2013 Masters): Received a two-stroke penalty for an improper drop after a viewer complaint.

• Dustin Johnson (2010 PGA Championship): Missed a playoff due to a viewer-reported bunker infraction.

• Padraig Harrington: Penalized multiple times for infractions visible only on high-definition replay.

  
  

These four players all increase viewership for the broadcasters due to their skills and success. Their popularity puts them on-screen more than others, exposing them to viewer scrutiny; a scrutiny not suffered by their less viewed competitors.

All suffered at the hands of the viewing audience, but you have to feel for Lexi Thompson. In 2017, Thompson lost in a playoff after being penalized four strokes due to a viewer email.

Ending Viewer Call-ins

At times, called the Lexi Thompson rule, effective from I January 2018 all governing bodies; the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and the European Tour eliminated viewer interference. The change was in response to the huge controversy caused by what by players and the public saw as an injustice to Thompson.

New Protocols

Replacing viewer interference, tournaments now appoint trained officials to monitor live broadcasts and assess potential rule violations in real time. The centralized system permits only qualified officials interpret and enforce the rules. The end of viewer interference and the centralized system eliminates the inconsistencies and biases caused by any form of viewer call-ins.

In 2019, the Rules of Golf was updated; a rule change eliminated the two-stroke penalty for signing an incorrect scorecard when the player was unaware of a rule breach. The rule change protects players from retroactive penalties based on infractions they couldn’t reasonably detect.

Summary

The end of viewer complaints in professional golf marks a pivotal shift toward fairness, consistency, and modern officiating. By removing fan interference and empowering trained officials, the sport has safeguarded its integrity and improved the competitive experience for players and fans alike. Common sense finally prevailed, it took golf governing bodies too long to modernize and come into line with all other sports. Officials rule golf according to The Rules of Golf.

Follow the link below to see what happens when there are no protocols.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjBUzagaieU&ab_channel=ESNGolf