The USGA and R&A said Wednesday that stroke-and-distance for a lost ball or out of bounds was “topic No. 1 of meeting No. 1,” but even after five years of consideration, they haven’t reached a solution.
Yet.
“We are committed to identifying a solution,” said Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s senior director of rules. “When we hit 2019, there will be solution, even if it’s by a local rule, because we recognize the importance going forward.”
The stroke-and-distance rule creates a pace-of-play issue, with players having to go back to play from their previous spot.
One of the biggest hang-ups is differentiating the penalties for a lost ball and a shot that was hit out of bounds.