The Open golf: Players guilty of on-course misconduct could face a two-shot penalty
R&A chief executive Mark Darbon said players guilty of course misconduct could face a two-shot penalty at the Open in July.
This follows a rebuke to Sergio Garcia at last month’s Masters, when Sergio Garcia damaged the teeing area with his putter following an angry reaction to an errant putt on the second hole of his final round.
Scotsman Bob MacIntyre was also warned by Augusta officials after microphones caught him swearing and making angry gestures during a devastating first-round 80 in the year’s opening major.
Both incidents brought player behavior into sharp focus in a season when the four major tournaments, the Masters, US PGA, US Open and Open, decided to implement a new code of conduct.
The leading professional tours are expected to do the same, but unlike the majors, their policies have not yet been formalized.
It has always been possible for a player to be disqualified for a serious infraction, as Garcia angrily damaged the green at a DP World Tour event in Saudi Arabia in 2019.
However, referees now have the opportunity to give shooting penalties to players who seriously violate the rules of the game. This marks the first time a tantrum could affect the leaderboard in one of golf’s four major tournaments.
“I think you want passion, first and foremost,” Darbon told BBC Sport.
“You want passion from the players, you want passion from the spectators, but there is a fine line there and one of the great things about this sport is the values and integrity that underpin it.
“So we will be monitoring this line very closely. Like many other major events, we are considering implementing a new code of conduct policy that will apply at Royal Birkdale this summer.
“And it will give us another measure to help influence and control that behavior.”
Asked how this would affect competitors at the 154th Open, Darbon said: “It will depend on the situation and what their actions might lead to, but you may also see a two-shot penalty applied, for example.
“We will clarify all these details in the preparations for the championship.”
