n January, the USGA and The R&A released the new Rules of Golf for 2012-2015 following an exhaustive, four-year review of golf’s 34 playing Rules in which nine principal Rules were amended to improve clarity and ensure penalties are proportionate to rules breaches. One significant change was made to Ball Moving After Address (Rule 18-2b). The addition of a new exception exonerates a player from penalty if his or her ball moves after it has been addressed when it is known or virtually certain that the player did not cause the ball to move. For example, if a gust of wind moves the ball after it has been addressed, there is no penalty and the ball is played from its new position.
