Ryder Cup chiefs forced to clarify major rule midway through opening round

Ryder Cup officials were forced to issue a clarification regarding their regulations during the tournament's opening day. The Bethpage Black spectacle eventually got underway with Rory McIlroy enduring a brutal three-word jeer before he had even taken his first swing.

His playing partner Shane Lowry, meanwhile, made little effort to hide his thoughts about the American crowd with his reaction to European support. As for the actual golf, tournament officials issued a memo confirming a "Preferred Lies Update" two hours after the first foursomes group had teed off. Owing to somewhat soggy conditions following rain earlier in the week, players were permitted to take free relief to move their ball under certain conditions.

The statement read: "When a player's ball lies in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less (does not include the collar cut), the player may take free relief ONCE by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area. In proceeding under this Local Rule, the player must choose a spot to place the ball and use the procedures for replacing a ball under 14.2b(2) and 14.2e.

"The player has only chosen the spot on which to place the ball once the ball has been set down, and the player has let the ball go with the intent for that ball to be in play. Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a."

This year's Ryder Cup has decided against implementing a one-ball rule, a crucial decision in foursomes where players often use different equipment are paired together. Zach Johnson, Team USA captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup, addressed this issue two years ago.

He said: "If we are playing together, I'm probably going to tee off with your golf ball more times than not so that we can have more control with your iron play or your wedge play or whatever it may be with your own golf ball.

"That's kind of the unwritten rule. These guys know what they are doing. I don't need to coach them on how to go about doing that."