R&A to impose two-shot penalty for misconduct at Open as golf ball rollback plans confirmed

R&A chief executive Mark Darbon has confirmed that players guilty of on-course misconduct could receive a two-shot penalty at the Open Championship in July. The announcement follows a reprimand for Sergio Garcia at last month's Masters where the Spaniard damaged a tee box with his club after an angry reaction to an errant tee shot on the second hole of his final round. Scotland's Bob MacIntyre was also warned by Augusta officials after microphones caught him swearing and gesturing angrily during a ruinous first-round 80 at the year's opening major. Both incidents brought player behaviour into sharp focus in a season where the four major tournaments – the Masters, US PGA, US Open and Open – have agreed to implement a new code of conduct. The leading professional tours are expected to follow suit, but unlike the majors, their policies have yet to be formalised. There has always been scope for a player to be disqualified for a serious breach, as Garcia was for furiously damaging a green in a DP World Tour event in Saudi Arabia in 2019. But now there is scope for referees to impose shot penalties for players who seriously breach the etiquette of the game. It means that, for the first time, a fit of temper could affect a leaderboard at one of golf's big four tournaments. "I think first and foremost, you want passion," Darbon told BBC Sport. "You want passion from players, you want passion from spectators, but there's a fine line, and one of the amazing things about this sport are the values and integrity that underpin it. "So we will watch that line very closely. We, like many of the other major events, are looking to implement a new code of conduct policy that will be in place this summer here at Royal Birkdale. "And it will give us another measure by which to help influence and control that behaviour." Asked how this might impact competitors at the 154th Open, Darbon said: "It will depend on the circumstance and a determination of what their actions may lead to, but you could well see a two-shot penalty, for example, being deployed. "We will clarify all of those details in the buildup to the championship." Darbon also said that R&A will press ahead with joint plans with fellow rule makers the United States Golf Association to introduce rules that will limit the distance golf balls can fly. The change is due to be made in 2028 but could be pushed back by two years. Original proposals to distinguish between the recreational and elite games were scrapped, so the rollback would apply to golfers of all levels. The plans won strong backing from Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley last month. "What we're trying to do is to protect the integrity of what makes golf so great," Ridley said on the eve of the Masters. "That it's more than about just hitting prodigious drives." With most top professionals smashing drives in excess of 300 yards, officials believe that courses are becoming too short to test the world's best golfers. But ball manufacturers and some players have opposed the move. Leading stars are expected to see a reduction in driving distance of around 15 yards, while humble hackers are unlikely to notice much difference due to their slower swing speeds. "We think the distance trend is undeniable," Darbon told me. "We think it's impacting shot making, it's impacting courses. And so we're absolutely committed to the change that's been announced. "One thing we're working through is the timing of implementation, given some recent feedback we've had from the industry. "So it could be delayed. At the moment, when the original decision was announced, there were two dates for implementation, 2028 for the elite game and in 2030 for the recreational game. "We've had feedback from a range of stakeholders, manufacturers, organising bodies, players, others, asking us to consider whether a single date in 2030 may make more sense. "So we're finalising that view, which will be announced in due course, but we remain wedded to the decision. "And when you're a governing body and your requirement is to take a long-term perspective on the game, we absolutely think it's the right thing to do."