All recreational golfers have one less thing to worry about on the golf course. No longer does your hooked drive of the No. 1 tee box need a "Fore!" trailing behind it.
At least, that's what the highest court in New York state ruled on Tuesday.
According to the Associated Press and SI.com:
"Dr. Anoop Kapoor and Dr. Azad Anand were playing on a nine-hole Long Island course in October 2002 when Anand was hit in the head while looking for his ball on a fairway, blinding him in one eye. The seven judges on the state Court of Appeals, siding with lower courts, said Kapoor's failure to yell ("Fore!") in advance of his errant shot from the rough did not amount to intentional or reckless conduct."
'"The manner in which Anand was injured — being hit without warning by a 'shanked' shot while one searches for one's own ball — reflects a commonly appreciated risk of golf,' the judges wrote."
SB Nation New York and its amateur golfers would like to recommend using the term "fore" after a poorly played shot. However, we'll understand the silence if a neuroradiologist or lawyer is searching for his or her ball on the other fairway.