The USGA got rightfully blasted at the U.S. Open for its handling of Dustin Johnson's ball moving slightly on the green. Professional golfers, announcers and fans alike could all agree that the rule resulting in a one-stroke penalty for the accidental movement of the ball was silly.
Luckily, Johnson had outpaced the field by so many strokes that being given a one-stroke penalty after the round did not affect the outcome of the tournament and he still hoisted his first career major trophy.
The USGA and R&A jointly announced that a new Local Rule will be allowed to be put into place by clubs to take away the penalty for accidentally moving the ball.
Starting 1 January 2017, a Committee may adopt a Local Rule that modifies Rule 18-2 by providing that there is no penalty if a player accidentally causes his ball on the putting green to move. For consistency, this Local Rule also modifies Rule 18-3 to eliminate the similar penalty in match play when an opponent accidentally causes the player's ball on the putting green to move.
As a related issue, this Local Rule also modifies Rule 20-1 by providing that there is no penalty if a player or his opponent accidentally causes the player's ball-marker on the putting green to move.
It's a welcome addendum to the rule book that should be adopted by most every club and hopefully, when the Rules of Golf are revised for 2020, this rule is officially changed, not just on a local level.
