NY Times · Dec 11, 2017
New Golf Rules Will Limit Impact of TV Viewers and Scorecard Errors
Lexi Thompson, left, walked off the 18th green after a surprise four-stroke penalty cost her a victory on April 2 at the ANA Inspiration. So Yeon Ryu, the winner, celebrated with her caddie in the background.Players no longer will be penalized two shots for an incorrect scorecard if they were not aware of a rules violation when they signed their card.
The United States Golf Association and R&A also will no longer respond to most television viewers’ calls during the tournament.
The changes are part of a local rule effective Jan. 1.
Rescinding the scorecard penalty, famously applied to Lexi Thompson at the L.P.G.A. Tour’s first major last April, is part of a broader standard for using video.