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Golfs governing bodies have responded to Dustin Johnsons penalty at the U.S. Open by introducing a local rule that will waive the one-shot penalty if a ball moves on the putting green by accident.The local rule, effective in January, applies only to accidental movement on the putting green of the golf ball and a ball marker.Johnson was lining up a par putt on the fifth hole of the final round at Oakmont when his ball moved slightly and he backed away. He said he didnt make the ball move, but after the USGA studied video and consulted the rulebook, he eventually was given a one-shot penalty because it was ruled that his actions caused the ball to move. Even with the penalty, he closed with a 69 and won by three shots.The local rule was not a reaction to that one incident at Oakmont. Golfs leading experts have been meeting the past five years on a rules modernization project. Thomas Pagel, the USGAs senior rules director, said they had determined even before the U.S. Open that the rule for such accidental movement needed to be changed.The Johnson ruling only sped up the process.This has been talked about for quite some time, Pagel said. The Dustin Johnson ruling was the last of many uncomfortable rulings weve had with balls or ball markers that moved on a putting green. We had identified a solution and language as the broader rules modernization. This motivated us to say its in the best interest of the game as opposed to waiting for the next set of revisions.The Rules of Golf are revised once every four years, with the next revision due in 2020. Pagel could not say when the entire rules modernization project will be completed, though a rough draft is likely to be released in the spring, followed by a lengthy period of feedback.For now, any accidental movement of the ball or ball marker on the putting green will require the player to replace it, but without a penalty shot. A local rule is an option for tournaments to use, though the USGA and R&A said it has been welcomed by the major tours worldwide, the PGA of America and the Masters.The local rule already has one fan.I think its a really good thing for golf, Johnson said in a text message.Johnsons ruling was the most famous, mainly because of how it was carried out. He was notified on the 12th tee that he might face a penalty and that he could review it with officials after the round. That meant Johnson had to play the final seven holes of the U.S. Open without knowing if he would get a penalty shot. It ultimately didnt matter, though even after his three-shot victory, Johnson did not think he deserved a penalty.Ian Poulter in 2012 at the Dubai World Championship had a 30-foot birdie putt in a playoff. As he went to replace his ball, it fell from his hand and hit the edge of his marker, causing it to flip over. He was given a one-shot penalty and wound up losing to Robert Karlsson, who had a short birdie putt.Under the local rule, Poulter would not have been penalized.In another example, Davis Love III had a short par putt on the 17th hole at the 1997 Players Championship when his putter nudged the ball during his practice stroke. Even though his club made contact with the ball, he would not be penalized under the local rule because it would be an accident.What is an accident?Anything that is not intentional, Pagel said.Pagel said an intentional act would include intent, such as picking up the ball without marking it.The local rule applies to 18-2 and 18-3 (ball at rest moved) and 20-1 (lifting and marking). The rules havent changed, but the penalty would be waived.We still need to figure out what caused the ball to move, Pagel said. In those instances, it more likely than not was an accident that caused it to move. We still have to have that discussion, but the discussions are less contentious when theres no longer a penalty part of that conversation. Cheap NMD . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. NMD Shoes From China . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. http://www.cheapnmd.net/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Cheap NMD Shoes Wholesale NMD Cheap Real . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Hold on a minute.No. 4 Clemson hasnt even won its own division yet. No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan still havent played. And No. 22 Washington State might have something to say about the Pac-12 North title.With three weeks remaining, theres still plenty of time for teams to impress the 12 members of the College Football Playoff selection committee -- or to trip up in epic fashion, the way we saw last weekend when three of the top four teams lost.Week 12 is another piece of the puzzle, as there are still bubble teams such as No. 14 West Virginia that need a statement win to move up in the rankings. The good news? The Mountaineers will get that opportunity Saturday.Heres a look at who can still impress down the stretch, starting this week:Dont count them out yetNo. 9 Oklahoma?(8-2): The two-loss Sooners are the Big 12s highest-ranked team and can clinch the title outright this weekend with a win at West Virginia and an Oklahoma State loss. OU is two wins away from finishing undefeated in conference play but has yet to beat an opponent ranked in the top 25. That could change Saturday with a win over 14th-ranked Mountaineers in Morgantown. Committee chair Kirby Hocutt recently referenced the Sooners tremendous offense, so OU is clearly passing the committees unspoken eye test at the moment. Theyve continued to bounce back from two early-season losses, Hocutt said Tuesday. Theyre on a seven-game winning streak. The committee believes that Oklahoma is deserving of that 9 spot, and still looking at West Virginia to get a quality win. OU, meanwhile, has the toughest remaining schedule among top-10 teams, according to FPI.No. 10 Colorado?(8-2): The Buffaloes remain the favorite to win the Pac-12 South, and theyve got plenty left on their schedule to earn them a spot in the final top four, starting Saturday against a Washington State team that has won eight straight games. According to ESPNs FPI, Colorado has the toughest schedule in its division. Not only can the Buffs boost their playoff résumé with a win against the Cougars, they also finish the season against No. 12 Utah, and would then likely have a shot at a top-10 opponent in Washington in the Pac-12 championship game. Colorado might be the most legitimate dark horse remaining.No. 11 Oklahoma State?(8-2): Ah, yes, that pesky L next to the Central Michigan game. The two-loss Cowboys are just that in the eyes of the committee: a two-loss team. We treat it as a loss, Hocutt said of the CMU game, which ended in controversial fashion. The question is whether Oklahoma State can overcome it with a Big 12 title. If the Cowboys finish with back-to-back road wins at TCU and Oklahoma, they could be back in the conversation. The win over a ranked West Virginia team is important, and the nonconference win over Pitt looks even better now.No. 14 West Virginia?(8-1): WVU is the committees lowest-ranked one-loss Power 5 team. Hocutt has said in each of the past two weeks that WVUs schedule is holding it back, but Mountaineers fans have taken exception to that, pointing out that No. 9 Oklahoma doesnt have any wins over any top-25 teams, either. The Mountaineers have played only one team ranked in the top 25 (No. 11 Oklahoma State) and they lost, and as Hocutt remarked, the quality win is not there yet for West Virginia. That could change Saturday with a home win over the two-loss Sooners. This is the only remaining ranked opponent for WVU, so it needs to take advantage of it. Its also the only game left that ESPNs FPI doesnt favor the Mountaineers in, giving them a 45.7 percent chance to win.Group of 5: One of the most surprising storylines of the committees third ranking was that one-loss No. 20 Boise State jumped undefeated No.dddddddddddd 21 Western Michigan, and thats in large part due to the fact that Boise State has a win over a top-25 team in Washington State. Boise still needs Wyoming to lose again, though, to have a chance at winning its division in the Mountain West. ESPNs FPI gives Boise State a 46 percent chance to win the Mountain West, second behind San Diego State, which has clinched the West Division. Western Michigan has a 70 percent chance to win out, according to FPI.Dont lose focusCollege football reminded us ever so bluntly last weekend that no game is a gimme. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice? Youre out of the top four. Heres a look at the rest of the contenders who cant get caught looking ahead to Rivalry Week:No. 2 Ohio State: The Buckeyes travel to Michigan State on Saturday and are clinging to playoff hopes in spite of their high ranking. Not only can they not afford to lose, they need Penn State to lose again to win the East.No. 3 Michigan: The Wolverines host a pesky Indiana team and could be without starting quarterback?Wilton Speight. This will be the committees first chance to see if Michigan still looks like a top-four team without him.No. 4 Clemson:?If Clemson wins at Wake Forest on Saturday, it will clinch the ACCs Atlantic Division. If it loses, Louisville will win the division. The Tigers playoff hopes are on the line in Winston-Salem.No. 6 Washington: The Huskies should be able to rebound from last weeks disappointing loss to USC with a home win against Arizona State. Theres only one game more important than the Apple Cup right now -- this one.No. 7 Wisconsin:?The Badgers travel to Purdue, and they can clinch the West Division with a win and losses by Nebraska and Minnesota. Dont count a two-loss Big Ten champ out.No. 8 Penn State:?The Nittany Lions should have no trouble against a Rutgers team that is winless in the Big Ten, but it needs to win out and hope Michigan stumbles once more to win the East.SuperlativesPlayer in the spotlight: OU WR Dede Westbrook. He leads the nation with 1,100 receiving yards since Oct. 1. During that time he has caught 82 percent of the passes thrown his way and has gained a Power 5-high 515 yards after the catch.Matchup to watch: Washington States offense vs. Colorados defense. The Buffs secondary is ranked No. 2 in the nation behind Ohio State at 5.5 yards allowed per attempt, and Wazzu QB Luke Falk leads the country with a 74 percent completion rate. The Cougars have an FBS-high eight players with at least 20 receptions each.Upset watch: Louisville at Houston. The Cardinals cant afford another slow start like they had against Duke, Virginia and Wake Forest. Houston receiver Chance Allen said this is our Super Bowl. QB Greg Ward Jr. is still battling an ankle injury that has hindered him all season, but coach Tom Herman said Ward is going to play and give his brothers everything hes got.Dont forget about: Pitt RB James Conner. As if his miraculous recovery from cancer wasnt enough, Conner stands only two touchdowns shy of breaking the ACCs career record for touchdowns scored that is currently held by Virginias Wali Lundy.Under-the-radar game: Navy at East Carolina. The Midshipmen can clinch the AACs West Division with a win over the Pirates.Dubious distinction: Sorry, Cal. You get the award this week. Stanford has won six straight meetings over the Golden Bears in The Big Game, and another this year would match the longest winning streak by either team in the series (Stanford won seven straight from 1995 to 2001), according to ESPN Stats & Information. ' ' '