Why Did The 10-Shot Rule's Demise Need To Be A Secret?

Dave Shedloski notes that the 10-shot rule (RIP) has only been used three times in the last ten years, yet had it been in effect this  year, would have given a long list of big names a chance this weekend on a course where one 65 could vault someone from also-ran to contender. But Shedloski also feels that with 93 making the cut this year under the old rules, "Golf's toughest test has simply gotten even tougher, and there's no reason to rethink that."

Golf's most democratic test has also gotten a little less democratic in the process.

What I continue to find strange about the change in policy was the USGA's decision to only tell the players and the major tours. Or as USGA spokesman Joe Goode informed me yesterday, "We told the people who needed to know." Yes, the players were told both in print and after their first rounds, but why choose to not share this information in a public way. What is there to hide?

After all, as Steve Elling noted, this is an organization that "leans on the letter of the law, waves the rulebook around like the Bible and provides little wiggle room on the strict interpretation of its regulations."

The situation did lead to major confusion with the USGA's scoring on Friday, where a new homage-to-Nate-Silver concept was unveiled to project the cut score. The explanation is here. Turns out the projection was accurate, +8 did make the cut. But it confused a lot of people while the PGATour.com leaderboard stuck with a more traditional projected cut of the low 60 and ties.

It was especially confusing since no one except the "people who needed to know" were aware of the 10-shot rule's demise.