AUGUSTA, Ga. – Remember when Tiger Woods snapped his 4-iron on a tree after hitting a shot on the 11th hole during the 2007 Masters?
In that case, the Rules of Golf stipulated Woods could replace the club if it did not unduly delay the pace of play. The trouble was that Woods did not have an extra 4-iron that Sunday and the equipment vans had long since left, so he had to play the final seven holes without a 4-iron.
A new rules clarification would not have changed the Woods’ situation. However, less than 48 hours before the start of the 2019 Masters, the USGA and R&A have released a clarification that introduces a new local rule related to damaged clubs.
Under the local rule, any club that is broken or significantly damaged can be replaced unless the damage occurs as a result of abuse. To make things easier to understand, the USGA and R&A have supplied examples of what broken or significantly damaged means.
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You can replace your club if the shaft breaks into pieces, splinters or is bent but not if it is only dented. If the clubface’s impact area is visibly deformed, detached or loose from the shaft or if the grip is loose, you can replace it.
However, a player is still not allowed to replace a club because there is a crack in the clubface or clubhead.
