3 days with the PGA Tour rules team: ‘Hours of boredom, moments of terror’
A new insider’s view into the lives of the PGA Tour’s rules team has shown the careful balancing act they must perform to interpret the complex Rule Book fairly, while also letting the game flow. “We have to be purveyors of fun, but we can’t turn a blind eye,” said one Tour official. The team receives real-time information on any potential rules infringements and must assess whether the player has broken a rule, if it was a serious breach, and, if so, what action to take. These snap judgments are made amid the pressure of players waiting and an audience watching.