It’s a new world in 2019 under the new Rules of Golf, and the changing landscape almost led to an unfortunate miscue for Jordan Spieth.
Making his first start of the year at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Spieth had to take relief after his tee shot on the 15th hole landed near a sprinkler head. After years of dropping from shoulder height, Spieth made a move to drop as he had for years. But the new rules require players to drop from knee height, as Bryson DeChambeau (awkwardly) highlighted last week in Maui.
Thankfully for Spieth, as Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press pointed out, PGA Tour rules official Slugger White intervened to keep Spieth from potentially incurring a penalty:
Fantastic. Spieth goes for his first drop of the year, from a sprinkler head, holds the ball out shoulder height and Slugger White jumps in with a “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Eventually got it right. pic.twitter.com/WKGwJTWAKR
— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) January 10, 2019
Unfortunately for Spieth, the save from White didn’t save his round. He went on to make par on No. 15 but struggled to a 3-over 73 in his first competitive round of 2019, leaving him 11 shots behind leader Andrew Putnam and in danger of missing the cut.