U.S. Open Golf Rule Stuns Former Champion Jim Furyk
Former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk was left visibly stumped by a foundational golf rule during a live broadcast this week. The incident exposed how the PGA Tour's habit of altering standard regulations has left even elite professionals confused about the original laws of the game. The revelation occurred during a fog delay at the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
In any civilized sport, adherence to foundational rules ensures order and fair play. The USGA preserves the traditional rulebook. However, the PGA Tour routinely modifies these standards to suit its own preferences. This arbitrary institutional overreach conditions players to fear penalties for actions that remain perfectly legal under the sport's supreme governing body. When organizations casually rewrite the rules, confusion inevitably follows.
How A Fog Delay Exposed A Rulebook Discrepancy
Heavy fog suspended play early Thursday morning shortly after the round began. During the suspension, USGA rules official Jay Roberts joined the USA Network broadcast to explain the situation. Analyst Tom Abbott seized the opportunity to ask a critical question about the rules. He wanted to know if players could practice on the putting green of the hole they just completed during a delay.
Roberts confirmed that players are indeed permitted to do so. Rule 5.2b explicitly allows players to practice on or near the putting green of the hole just completed, even if they will play that hole again the same day. This rule is a cornerstone of traditional stroke play.