Why Arnold Palmer was once condemned by the USGA for admitting he breaks one of their rules all the time

The rules of golf are pretty extensive and incredibly complicated at times.

Even professionals often have to call rules officials over to explain an obscure rule so they can ensure they’re playing the game the right way.

There’s also a long list of rules that many amateurs are desperate to see changed. Not getting free relief out of a fairway divot is among them.

However, the USGA rulebook says all players must adhere to the Rules of Golf at all times, no matter their level. So you can imagine their rage when one of the all-time greats, Arnold Palmer, said he willingly breaks one of their rules all the time.

It’s safe to say they weren’t best pleased with “The King”.

Palmer wrote a book on the rules of golf in 2001, aiming to simplify the game for amateurs around the world. Instead, it started a feud with the USGA over a rule that he admitted to breaking often.

He wrote that the most broken rule in the sport is Rule 1-3, which reads, ““Players shall not agree to exclude the operation of any rule or to waive any penalty incurred.” Palmer says he breaks that rule at least twice a week.

The seven-time major winner admitted to often taking mulligans off the first tee and putting more than 14 clubs in his bag when playing recreationally. He didn’t expect any blowback from these comments. Instead, he was trying to make the game more fun for the everyday player.

The USGA didn’t see it that way. They slammed Palmer, saying he should set an example rather than mock what they deem the sport’s sacred rules. This was a completely tone-deaf reaction that fails to understand the mindset of the everyday golfer.

It took 15 years for the USGA to walk back these comments even slightly. In 2016, John Bodenhamer, the senior director of rules and competitions for the USGA, said, “When Arnold Palmer plays with 60 clubs and takes a mulligan on the first hole, is he playing golf? You bet he is.

“But when you’re playing competitively, from the U.S. Open to a local four-ball, if you’re playing the game by the rules, you want to be sure that your fellow competitor is playing by the rules as well.

“So, yes, we need to jump out from behind the veil and say that we think Arnold is still playing golf. But we would also encourage everyone to play by the rules because it creates consistency.

“Does it give us heartburn when Arnie says that? We’d rather he didn’t. We’d still rather he be an inspiration for others. But we understand it. That doesn’t set us off our rocker. The rules are just boundaries so that everybody can compete equitably”.

It’s a strange stance to take. It’s hard to imagine that many players thought that Palmer was giving them the go-ahead to cheat in competition. He was simply saying that when you’re playing for fun, the most important thing is to have fun.

Everyone understood that, except the USGA.

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