why are rangefinders still banned at the Open? makes zero sense

[tallguy_tx]

Was watching some Scottish Open coverage and caught a caddie pacing off from a sprinkler head like it's 1987. Meanwhile the tour has been letting guys zap flags at regular events for a few years now. R&A still flat out bans them at the Open. Why??

I get the tradition thing. I really do. But the caddie is still gonna get the number. He's just gonna walk it off, burn 90 extra seconds, and hold up the group behind him. Same number, more time on the clock. What exactly are we protecting here?

And before someone jumps in with "it's a skill, the caddie should earn his keep," nah. Pacing yardages isn't the skill. Reading the wind on a links course is the skill. Judging the turf, the bounce, how much rollout you get on a rock hard fairway at Troon. Nobody's lasering a 40 mph crosswind.

The yardage books bug me more honestly. Guys have these hand drawn books with years of notes and that stuff is genuinely cool. A rangefinder doesn't replace any of it. It just kills the walk-off.

So am I nuts or is this just tradition for tradition's sake? Curious if anyone actually likes the ban.