Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images
Caddie of Lucas Herbert of Australia, Nick Pugh, using a rangefinder during day two of The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale
On Friday, Lucas Herbert was one of two men who tied the record for the lowest score in a single round at the British Open when he fired off a 62 at Royal Birkdale. His caddie appeared to break the rules after pulling out a rangefinder on the course, but he provided a simple explanation for why no penalty was assessed after drawing the ire of fans who spotted what appeared to be a clear-cut violation.
There was once a time when golfers had to rely on yardage books or markers in the fairway if they wanted to try to figure out how far they ended up from the pin. However, that has not been the case over the past few decades thanks to the rangefinders that have become an invaluable accessory for countless players.
In 1995, Bushnell, which had historically specialized in binoculars and scopes for hunters, turned its attention to golf with the release of the Yardage Pro 400, which is widely considered the first-ever rangefinder designed specifically for that pastime.
Those devices were initially a novelty, but they’ve become ubiquitous among players who want to calculate their distance to the pin down to the yard while praying the process of measuring won’t be undermined by a shank that failed to travel a quarter of the way there.
Rangefinders are still banned on the PGA Tour, and while they are permitted in the PGA Championship, that’s the only major where players are allowed to take advantage of the technology.
More than a few people consequently cried foul after spotting one that was deployed by a caddie at the British Open, but it turns out they doth protest too much.
Lucas Herbert’s caddie explained why he’s allowed to use a rangefinder at the British Open
The R&A (the governing body that oversees the major officially known as “The Open”) gives the folks who run The Masters a run for their money when it comes to clinging to tradition, so it’s no surprise rangefinders are nowhere to be found at a tournament that was first played all the way back in 1860.
As of the start of this year’s showdown, the lowest score ever recorded over the course of 18 holes at any major was 62, a feat that had been achieved by Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry, and Xander Schauffele (the last of whom is the only man to do so twice).
Grace was the only person who’d pulled it off at the British Open after he carded an -8 during the third round at Royal Birkdale in 2017. However, he is no longer the only member of a club that has welcomed Sam Burns and Lucas Herbert, who both shot a 62 at that course on Friday.
However, some fans were led to believe Herbert should have been docked at least a couple of strokes after his caddie, Nick Pugh, was seen squinting through a rangefinder (that’s the penalty for the first violation, while the second merits a disqualification).
@NoLayingUp Herbert may get penalized as his caddy used his range finder pic.twitter.com/8810fYmB7D
— Garrett McInerney (@G87Mac) July 17, 2026
Pugh normally tends the bag for Herbert at LIV Golf events where rangefinders are permitted, and it seemed like he may have forgotten they are not allowed at the British Open. However, he stressed he knows the rules while speaking with Today’s Golfer to offer some clarification, saying:
“I’ll be honest with you guys- my eyesight isn’t great. The glasses aren’t just there to make me look cool! I sometimes struggle when the ball comes down…
If he wants to know if the ball’s in the bunker or not, these old eyes don’t see it so well. So, I’ll generally use the rangefinder, which pretty clearly has no battery inside.”
Pugh said he was inspired by an unnamed caddie who went the same route at the US Open and stressed he made sure he got the approval from the R&A before following in their footsteps. As a result, everyone who picked up their torches and pitchforks can put them back down.