R&A Buries The Lede: Major Amateur Status Changes Unveiled...

...seven paragraphs after leading with the changes to the hole-in-one prize issue, which was impacting one in every 20,000,000 million golf shots hit annually.

Contrast this with the USGA press release, which is clean, to-the-point and focused on getting out the most important news (while not even mentioning the hole-in-one nonsense).

Here's the R&A version, brought to you by Rolex:

THE R&A ANNOUNCES NEW RULES OF AMATEUR STATUS FOR 2012

Significant changes include allowing unlimited hole-in-one prizes

First-ever unified, worldwide code for amateur status

24 October, 2011, St Andrews, Scotland: Amateur golfers will be allowed to play for unlimited hole-in-one prizes under revisions to the Rules of Amateur Status announced today by The R&A.

Blah, blah, blah...if you want a giggle, go read the full release online with Suzann Pettersen's quotes about how this will make the game better. Now, jump SEVEN paragraphs to the story the governing bodies are oddly shying away from.

Those who will notice the biggest changes to the rules are elite amateurs preparing to make the difficult transition to the professional game.

Players will now be able to enter into an agreement with an agent or sponsor as long as they do not receive any financial gain while still an amateur.

Now agents in the U.S. don't have to pretend they are not talking to college players! Here's the actual news:

Rules have also been relaxed on subsistence payments paid through national golf unions.

Say goodbye to international players coming to America for college. And say hello world America. How long before the U.S. has to start its own national golf union to keep up with the rest of the world?

Rickman explained: “The rules on contracts now reflect the modern game and adopt a much more realistic and common sense approach.

“Similarly, the rules on subsistence expenses should help the support of deserving talent wherever it may emerge across the golfing world.”

Tom Lewis, who recently turned professional after an amateur career that included winning the Silver Medal at this year’s Open Championship as well as being part of the victorious 2011 Walker Cup team, welcomed the changes.

He said: “It is an important change because some players are forced into turning pro early just because of financial difficulties.

I feel like I'm reading something out of Dickens! These poor, starving, Hugo Boss-clad children!

Anyway here's the actual language:

Rule 2-2 Professionalism; Contacts and Agreements
National Golf Unions or Associations – New Rule 2-2 (a) is added to allow an amateur golfer to enter into a contract and/or agreement with his national golf union or association, provided he does not obtain any financial gain, directly or indirectly, while still an amateur golfer.

Professional Agents, Sponsors and Other Third Parties – New Rule 2-2 (b) is added to allow an amateur golfer, who is at least 18 years of age, to enter into a contract and/or agreement with a third party solely in relation to the golfer’s future as a professional golfer, provided he does not obtain any financial gain, directly or indirectly, while still an amateur golfer.

And the subsistence expenses...

Rules 4-3 Subsistence Expenses
New Rule added to allow an amateur golfer to receive subsistence expenses to assist with general living costs, provided the expenses are approved by and paid through the player’s national golf union or association.

This is huge news for international golf, and yet it gets second billing to hole-in-one prizes. But why?

The complete text of all changes to the Rules of Amateur Status and video summaries of the changes can be found at www.randa.org

Rolex’s relationship with The R&A dates back to 1978 when the company first began to support The Open Championship. In addition to the Rules of Golf, Rolex also support the Amateur Championship, the Walker Cup, the Boys Amateur Championship and the Junior Open. Rolex also sponsors the British Golf Museum and this year became the presenting patron of the Senior Open Championship.

And thank you for that message from our sponsor.

Speaking of irony, the R&A's other release from the day touts the publishing of one rule book for the world (same fonts too, just different spellings for words like colour!). Yet the two governing bodies send out two entirely different press releases.