PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has encouraged players to "use your voice constructively" as he attempted to calm the ongoing discord caused by the new Rules of Golf.
In the wake of several controversial incidents, the latest being Adam Schenk receiving a two-shot penalty due to his caddie being behind him as he prepared to play a bunker shot on day two of the Honda Classic, Monahan sent a memo to all PGA Tour players on Monday to explain the Tour's position on the new rules.
Monahan insisted the PGA Tour rules officials were "the best in the game" while he also hinted that the players should have been more pro-active in voicing their concerns over the numerous changes to the Rules of Golf during the consultation process before they were implemented on January 1.
Golf Channel reporter Rex Hoggard broke the news of the memo sent to players at the start of the week, which listed six key issues and concluded with Monahan insisting he had been in direct contact with the USGA and R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers to discuss the impact of the new rules.
Monahan's message read: "This is a collaborative process, one the PGA Tour has been a part of from the beginning, along with all organisations in the world of golf.
"During this process, we put forward a lengthy list of recommendations to improve the rules in many ways, including the removal of numerous penalties, and virtually all our suggestions were incorporated. We also had the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed rules prior to implementation, which resulted in modifications for the final version.
"The R&A and the USGA are our industry partners and we have pledged to work together through the introduction of these changes and provide feedback every step of the way. We have already achieved positive outcomes this year - most notably the clarification of the caddie-alignment rule - while we continue to focus on the remaining issues that are causing debate and discussion. None of this is unexpected.
"Our rules officials are the best in the game and are also providing constant feedback to the R&A and USGA as they work through implementing these rules during competition.
"We are committed to playing under these rules as we analyse their effectiveness throughout the entire season, and it's important to acknowledge that we are not at the finish line yet.
"You will continue to have an avenue to voice your questions and concerns, either through our team, the Player Advisory Council or directly to USGA representatives as they continue to be on-site during our events to gather feedback.
"In addition to the USGA, I've spoken directly with Martin Slumbers and the R&A will also have a significant presence in our discussions going forward. They are equally as committed to this process and finding solutions that keep the growth of the game as a priority.
"I encourage you to continue to use your voice constructively during this process, and I also ask that you trust that the PGA Tour has your best interest in mind and has from the very beginning."
Monahan's message was conveyed to the players a few days after Justin Thomas was criticised by the USGA for apparently cancelling a number of scheduled meetings to discuss his concerns over the new rules and various high-profile penalty incidents in recent weeks.
Slumbers admitted last week that the rules changes had "not gone smoothly", contradicting the opinion of USGA executive director Mike Davis, who claimed the changes had been a "huge success".