Topgolfgears Morning 9: USGA yardage book crackdown | Korda’s bold call out | Heartbreaking news for Jarrod Lyle

• Here are the key elements, per the USGA release.

• Minimum Slope Indication Limit: A minimum slope indication limit of 4 percent (2.29 degrees) is proposed.

• Maximum Scale Limit: A maximum scale of 3/8 inch to 5 yards (1:480) is proposed; this will limit the size in print form to a pocket-sized publication.

• Indicative Information: General information that is included in traditional yardage books or course guides, such as basic illustrations that show the outline of the putting green and include indicative information like the tops of ridges or general slopes, will continue to be permitted.

• Handwritten Notes: Handwritten notes will continue to be allowed, but such notes cannot be used to create either a direct copy or a facsimile (replica) of a detailed green map.

• “I don’t understand why they are doing it,” said Stracka, who is president of StrackaLine, the company that for 10 years has been producing green-reading guides for PGA Tour golfers, more than 300 Division I college golf teams and more.”

• “Stracka said he first heard discussion of this decision weeks before the British Open. He also had conversations with USGA executive director Mike Davis in the past in which he asked Davis to consider the statistics and seek out Mark Broadie for help.”

• “Putting stats haven’t changed in 25 years,” Stracka told Golfweek via phone on Tuesday. “PGA Tour pros are still making about 50 percent of their putts from inside of 8 feet. … There is no exactness in putting” (via Golfweek).

• “Stracka argues that his service is more of a time-saver for golfers who have the ability to chart and map out greens on their own. Plus, he believes that banning the guides could give golfers who use local caddies, particularly those not on major tours, an advantage in tournaments.”

• “The 36-year-old has been undergoing his third stint of cancer treatment after a recurrence of acute myeloid leukaemia last year.”

• “Briony has been posting about her husband’s deteriorating health during recent months, but her most recent update to his followers on Facebook and Instagram confirmed the bad news.”

• “We’ll be taking him closer to home in the next couple of days so he can finally leave the hospital…We have done our best to ‘control’ the narrative surrounding Jarrod’s illness and treatment, and as more and more people become involved in this final process I’m not sure how much longer this development will remain private.

• “Jarrod knows he is loved, and the thousands of prayers and well wishes that have been sent his way have kept him going through some incredibly tough times…But he has reached his limit, and the docs have finally agreed that they can no longer strive for a positive outcome.”

• Luke Donald...Life is precious and we all take it for granted too often – seeing the picture of @jarrodlylepga hugging his family with not long to live brought tears to my eyes. Peace be with you, you will be missed Jarrod x

• Billy Horschel.…Sad news today about @jarrodlylepga. He fought an unbelievable fight for so long. Awful that it ends this way. He was a blast to hang around, could make you laugh & put a smile on your face. Horschel family sends all their love & support to his wife Bri, daughters Lusi and Jemma

• Colt Knost...”What I would give to have one more round of golf with this amazing man jarrod.lyle! So proud of you for the amazing fight you have put up! I’ll never forget all the laughs and good times”

• “Asians currently occupy seven of the top 10 spots in the Rolex Rankings. Korda, ranked ninth in the world, is one of just two Americans in the top 10. No. 5 Lexi Thompson is the other.”

• “They have a better development program for juniors,” Korda said. “They have a national team. They travel to different countries. One of the things that the U.S. doesn’t have is a national team, somebody to help the girls and boys kind of grow.

• “There’s no like camps. Basically, kids play AJGAs in America to try and get into college. In Korea, I know that they have to play two years on the Korean LPGA before they even come to the States. So they’ve already been a pro before they come to our tour. So as you call them rookies, they’ve won, you know, like 10 times professionally.”

• “After testing out PGA Tour Live with ESPN’s new streaming service, the pre-Golf Channel telecasts will move to NBC Sports Gold in 2019 and feature more viewer-friendly synergy between Golf Channel and PGA Tour Live telecasts.  Obviously, as a Golf Channel contributor, I’m thrilled to see the move as it strengthens the Tour-GC relationship, but as a fan, the sense of a competitive vibe where the PGA Tour was not in lockstep with its cable partner did little to serve fans.”

• “Judging by the “passes” offered at NBC Sports Gold, expect a golf pass that becomes a future option for cord cutters.”

As you’re mulling over your wagers one week out…