Rose gets Players boost with penalty rescinded

Justin Rose got a two-stroke boost heading into Sunday's final round of the Players Championship as US PGA Tour officials rescinded a penalty imposed the day before. Rose was docked two shots after his third round on Saturday after his ball was deemed to have moved as he prepared to play his third shot from the back of the 18th green. Had he replaced the ball, the reigning US Open champion would have received a one-stroke penalty, but he wasn't sure so after he and playing partner Sergio Garcia discussed it he hit the shot. Rose and officials reviewed enhanced video after the round, and finally it was deemed the ball did move and did not "oscillate" back to its original position, so he was penalized two strokes and finally signed for a third-round 73 that left him seven shots off the lead shared by Germany's Martin Kaymer and rising US star Jordan Spieth. However, the penalty was rescinded on Sunday morning after officials decided that they should have applied the global golf rule implemented in January which states that such ball movements must be reasonably discernable to the naked eye -- not just on high-tech video replays -- to incur penalties. "It was determined that the only way to confirm whether and how much the ball had in fact changed position, was to utilize sophisticated technology," the PGA Tour said in a statement. "This morning, after consulting with the governing bodies and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, it was determined that without the use of sophisticated technology, it was not reasonably discernable to the naked eye that the ball had left its original position and had come to rest in its original place. "Thus, the player's determination that the ball had not moved was deemed to be conclusive and the penalty does not apply in this situation." Rose said he'd been resigned to the penalty after watching video on Saturday evening, although upon reading the new rule he "scratched his head" over why it didn't apply to his situation. "But obviously all the governing bodies - the USGA, R & A and PGA Tour - all got together overnight to talk about it," said Rose, who started the final round five off the pace. Source: AFP