The rule – which will be implemented with immediate effect – has been brought in following a meeting of the DP World Tour’s tournament committee in April
Players who do not shout ‘Fore!’ at the appropriate time in DP World Tour and Challenge Tour events will now face tougher sanctions, a spokesperson for the European Tour Group has confirmed.
In a meeting of the tournament committee on April 15th, it was agreed that due to “the serious nature of ‘ball strikes’ at tournaments,” players and caddies must maintain the traditional warning or etiquette when there is a danger of a golf ball hitting someone.
Should this not occur “when it was clear to the tournament director this should have been the case”, the player in question will be deemed to have breached the regulation and the “appropriate sanction” will be imposed. The DP World Tour says the exact punishment is “not pre-defined” and “may depend on the situation.”
DP World Tour’s statement – which appears in the Player Information Portal – on X earlier this week, which read: “Players are reminded that the use of the warning “fore!” remains the traditional and expected warning/etiquette when there is a danger of hitting someone (see Rules of Golf 1.2, Conduct Expected of all Players) and that DP World Tour Regulation (& Challenge Tour) F.I.2. (b) require all to “comply with normally accepted standards of golf etiquette.
“All players and caddies are therefore reminded that the use of such warnings is always expected where there is a risk of injury or danger of a ball hitting someone and is mandatory when a shot may land outside the rope line.
“Given the serious nature of “ball strikes” at tournaments, following the Tournament Committee meeting on 15th April, 2024, it has been agreed that if any player does not shout “FORE” when it was clear to the Tournament Director this should have been the case, the player will be deemed to have breached the Regulation and appropriate sanction
