A major international rule change involving golf clubs used in professional tournaments has been put on hold in Australia after some players were unable to get new clubs in time.
The revised regulation banning U, or square, grooves on lofted clubs, covering five irons to wedges, came into effect on January 1st.
The law change to mandatory V grooves, is designed to make it harder to control shots played from the rough.
However some manufacturers were struggling to provide competitors with conforming clubs in time for the Victorian Open.
Research by golf's governing body the Royal and Ancient, suggests the new regulation reduces spin from the rough by 30 to 50 per cent - introducing a greater element of uncertainty to shot making.
The Australasian PGA Tour calendar features five events in six weeks, with the New Zealand Open and PGA championships co-sanctioned with the US Nationwide Tour.
