Collin Morikawa was assessed a two-stroke penalty at the Hero World Challenge for a breach of Model Local Rule G-11, which restricts the use of green-reading materials, after his caddie used a device to calculate slope and added the information to his notes in the yardage book.
At Glance
‣ Collin Morikawa was assessed a two-stroke penalty at the Hero World Challenge for a breach of Model Local Rule G-11, which restricts the use of green-reading materials.
‣ Morikawa’s caddie used a level on the practice green to calculate slope, which is not illegal, but he then added that info to his handwritten notes in the yardage book which is a breach of the rules.
‣ The USGA’s Model Local Rule G-11 is intended for the highest levels of competitive golf and puts limitations on the size and scale of detailed green-reading materials.
‣ This isn’t the first time Morikawa has been involved in a rules incident; in 2023, he was caught up in a controversy at the Masters over marking and replacing his ball on the 6th hole.
Saturday saw a bit of a kerfuffle at the Hero World Challenge. Collin Morikawa was slapped with a two-stroke penalty on the fourth hole. Why, you ask? Well, he breached Model Local Rule G-11, which is all about limiting the use of green-reading materials.
Now, here’s the juicy bit. Reports from the ground suggest Morikawa’s caddie used a level on the practice green to calculate slope. Not illegal, mind you. But then, he scribbled that info into his yardage book. That’s where the trouble started.
You see, the USGA has this ‘Model Local Rule G-11: Restricting Use of Green-Reading Materials’. It’s under Rule 4.3, and specifically Interpretation 4.3a/1, if you’re into the details. This rule puts a cap on the size and scale of detailed green-reading materials.
But there’s more. The Committee can further restrict the use of green-reading materials. They can require that players only use the approved yardage book for the competition. The idea is to make sure players and caddies rely on their eyes and feel to read the line of play on the putting green.
This Local Rule isn’t for everyone. It’s meant for the highest levels of competitive golf. And even then, it’s only for competitions where the Committee can realistically approve yardage books. The Committee is in charge of approving the yardage book that players can use. This approved book should have minimal detail diagrams of putting greens.
Players and caddies can add handwritten notes to this approved book. But these notes have to be allowed under this Local Rule. For more clarity, the ruling goes on to modify Rule 4.3a. During a round, players can only use the yardage book(s) approved by the Committee. This restriction extends to other maps of the course, including hole-location sheets.
Handwritten notes can be added to an approved yardage book or hole location sheet. But these notes are limited to information gathered by the player or caddie only. The notes can contain information gained through personal experiences or by watching a televised broadcast.
Stephen Cox, the PGA Tour’s Chief Referee, had something to say at the event. He said, “Unfortunately, the caddie used a device, a level, on the practice putting green. That’s not a breach of the rule in itself but what he did was he developed that chart or formula as a handwritten note in his yardage book. That’s where the breach occurred. Because he used it while assessing the putt [at No. 4] during his third round he was assessed a two-shot penalty.”
According to Golf Channel, Cox was tipped off about the possible breach by playing partner, Matt Fitzpatrick. Cox added: “(Morikawa) was very frustrated, it’s a very complicated rule. Obviously, when we implemented it back in 2022 there was a huge amount of (green-reading) information.” Morikawa was informed of the penalty about 15 minutes before his final-round tee time.
This breach turned Morikawa’s bogey five into a triple bogey seven. This left the two-time Major winner out of contention in the Bahamas. Despite this, he managed to birdie the seventh, eighth and ninth for a two-under front nine. But a double bogey six meant his inconsistent Saturday ended with a two-under round of 70.
This isn’t Morikawa’s first brush with rules in 2023. At the Masters, a video of him marking and replacing his ball on the 6th hole caused a stir on social media. The 26-year-old had to clarify that: “The ball moved, and then I moved it back. Pretty standard now. Pretty routine in our rules book thankfully”. He tweeted this explanation after his three-under-par round of 69.
