The golf rule which was invented after one American player put 32 clubs in his bag and carried seven 9-irons

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Golfers playing in any kind of competition, at either the amateur or professional level, are only allowed to carry 14 clubs in their bags.

While many rules of golf are criticized by fans and players alike, the 14-club rule is one that undoubtedly made the game better when it was formed.

The rules of golf have been a hot topic of discussion over the past few months.

Slow play is something in particular that the USGA and the R&A are being urged to address, as it continues to plague the sport.

The PGA Tour and the DP World Tour have a responsibility to take action as well.

Perhaps they should take inspiration from a simple rule change way back in 1936 that was clearly very much needed at the time.

Why the 14-club rule was invented after American player carried seven 9-irons

It was 89 years ago when the idea of placing a limit on the amount of clubs allowed during tournament rounds was first raised.

During the Walker Cup at Pine Valley way back in 1936, American player Albert Campbell won both of his matches using 32 clubs, including seven 9-irons and a handful of left-handed clubs.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Walker Cup legends Bobby Jones and Tony Torrance held a discussion after seeing Campbell win his matches with 32 clubs in his bag.

Jones highlighted how he used 16 clubs on his way to winning the amateur version of the Grand Slam in 1930 – the US Open, The Open, The US Amateur and The Amateur Championship.

Meanwhile, Torrance said he used 12 clubs, so it was agreed that they should meet in the middle, and the 14-club rule was born.

However, the USGA didn’t bring it into play until 1938, while the R&A followed suit a year later.

If the 14-club rule never came into effect, the caddies on tour these days would need a pay-rise. You can just picture Bryson DeChambeau with a different club for every single degree of loft, can’t you!

When a major winner fell foul of the 14-club rule and was penalized

Ian Woosnam suffered heartache during the final round of the 2001 Open Championship at Royal Lytham St. Annes.

Woosnam flushed his opening tee shot on the par-three first hole during the final round, and his ball finished just inches from the cup.

He subsequently began his round with a birdie – one that took him to the top of the leaderboard.

However, the Welshman’s joy quickly turned to despair.

On the second tee, Woosnam’s caddie Myles Byrne informed his boss that he had two drivers in the bag, meaning that he was carrying 15 clubs – one more than the legal limit.

Woosnam openly admits that he was never the same after that mishap. As far as he’s concerned, it’s a real shame that Jones pioneered the 14-club rule all those years ago.

The Welshman may well be an Open champion now if he hadn’t.