Major new golf rule introduced that would have changed Masters history
A LITTLE-KNOWN golf rule has been tweaked and it could have changed who won the Masters.
Roberto De Vicenzo birdied on the 17th hole at Augusta in 1968 – only for his playing partner Tommy Aaron to accidentally record it as a par.
The Argentine did not notice the mistake and signed the scorecard.
By the time the error was picked up on, the score could not be changed and De Vicenzo finished second behind by Bob Goalby by one shot that he never took.
But new rules were introduced to the PGA Tour and Masters last year that allows a player to rectify a scorecard mishap within 15 minutes of submitting it.
Now, a tweak has been made to the law to add clarity to the recent change.
Under Section 5A(5), it is now up to the tournament on how long they give players to spot a scoring mistake.
The rules read: “During 2024 the governing bodies confirmed that the Rules of Golf allow for a policy that uses a duration of time (such as 15 minutes) to define when a scorecard is returned.
“Such policies allow a player to return to the defined scoring area and correct a scorecard mistake within that duration of time, but do not change the requirement for the player to promptly proceed to the scoring area after they finish their round.
“When using such a policy, the Committee should determine both how much time is allowed as well as when it begins.
“Such as when, the player left the defined scoring area, the group completed their last hole of the round, or the player’s scorecard was entered into an electronic scoring system.”
The rule was initially changed after Jordan Spieth was disqualified from the Genesis Invitational for signing an incorrect scorecard.
The 2015 Masters champion signed for a par three on the fourth hole when he had actually landed a bogey.
It later emerged that the reason behind Spieth not checking his score properly was due to him desperately needing the toilet.
Masters Champion's prize money over the years
1934-1941: $1,500 (£1,183)
1943-1945: Not held (WWII)
1946-1948: $2,500 (£1,971)
1949: $2,750 (£2,168)
1950: $2,400 (£1,892)
1951: $3,000 (£2,365)
1952-1953: $4,000 (£3,154)
1954-55: $5,000 (£3,942)
1956: $6,000 (£4,730)
1957: $8,750 (£6,898)
1958: $11,250 (£8,869)
1959: $15,000 (£11,826)
1960: $17,500 (£13,797)
1961-1969: $20,000 (£15,768)
1970-1972: $25,000 (£19,710)
1973: $30,000 (£23,652)
1974: $35,000 (£27,594)
1975-1977: $40,000 (£31,536)
1978: $45,000 (£35,478)
1979: $50,000 (£39,420)
1980: $55,000 (£43,361)
1981: $60,000 (£47,303)
1982: $64,000 (£50,257)
1983: $90,000 (£70,955)
1984: $108,000 (£85,146)
1985: $126,000 (£99,337)
1986: $144,000 (£113,528)
1987: $162,000 (£127,719)
1988: $183,800 (£144,906)
1989: $200,000 (£157,678)
1990: $225,000 (£177,388)
1991: $243,000 (£191,579)
1992: $270,000 (£212,865)
1993: $306,000 (£241,247)
1994: $360,000 (£283,820)
1995: $396,000 (£312,202)
1996: $450,000 (£354,776)
1997: $486,000 (£383,158)
1998: $576,000 (£454,113)
1999: $720,000 (£567,641)
2000: $828,000 (£652787)
2001-2002: $1,008,000 (£794,697)
2003: $1,080,000 (£851,461)
2004: $1,117,000 (£880,631)
2005-2006: $1,260,000 (£994,536)
2007: $1,305,000 (£1,030,056)
2008-2010: $1,350,000 (£1,064,326)
2011-2013: $1,440,000 (£1,135,281)
2014: $1,620,000 (£1,277,191)
2015-2016: $1,800,000 (£1,419,102)
2017-2018: $1,980,000 (£1,561,012)
2019-2021: $2,070,000 (£1,631,967)
2022: $2,700,000 (£2,128,653)
2023-2024: $3,240,000 (£2,554,383)