Dougherty: Golf governing bodies had to act on video

The USGA and the R&A issued a change to the rules of golf, limiting the use of video evidence in the sport.

Viewers had phoned in perceived violations on Stadler and Woods, but it wasn't until Thompson — ruled to have improperly replaced a marked ball on the green at last month's ANA Inspiration — that the governing bodies took action.

The USGA and R&A employed a common-sense mentality to video evidence, rejecting violations "that could not reasonably be seen with the 'naked eye,' and when players use their 'reasonable judgment' to determine a specific location when applying the rules."

The decision further states, "Video evidence can sometimes present complications because of its potential to reveal factual information that was not known and could not reasonably have been known to players and others on the course."

The Tri-County Golf Association's 27th annual Match Play Championship will be played Friday, Saturday and Sunday — a week earlier than its traditional Mother's Day weekend — at Colonie Golf and Country Club.

Three Capital Region players — Ryan Warnick (Albany), Michael Westfall (Clifton Park) and Alec Chase (Queensbury) — are among 63 boys and 15 girls who will tee it up Friday when the American Junior Golf Association visits Waubeeka in Williamstown, Mass.

The AJGA tour, which has more than 300 alumni on the PGA and LPGA Tours, also has a stop June 26-29 at Windham.

Robert Jorgensen, a recent Campbell University graduate, has earned his Class A PGA membership and is working as an assistant pro.