By the book: It's the player's responsibility to keep abreast of the rules, or consult official

DIFFERENT STROKES:A golf miscellany

THE RULE book is as important as any club in a golfer’s bag. It beggars belief how, time and time again, players fall foul of the rules. And while sympathy rests with Graeme McDowell’s plight at Wentworth last week, when his ball moved a smidgen as he approached it in the foliage by the 18th fairway, incidents like that remind us how careful everyone must be in observing rules.

As McDowell remarked of incurring a two-shot penalty, “it’s impossible to know every idiosyncrasy” of the rules. He also agreed he was “careless.” And he was. He should have called in a referee, known on tour as “a golden parachute”. Okay, such an action would have slowed down play, but calling for advice from a referee (and they’re never too far away at professional events) would have saved him at least one of those shots.

Talking about the incident, John Paramor, the European Tour’s chief referee, noted that McDowell “didn’t really know” the rule that pertained to his plight. And, you know, G-Mac – the man at the centre of it all – wasn’t the only one left slightly bemused at how he could be given a penalty for something he couldn’t have been aware of.

Remember, McDowell was some 10 feet away from the ball, walking towards it, when the fallen branches he was walking on disturbed other foliage and, in a sort of chain reaction, moved the ball ever so slightly.

Under Rule 18-2, McDowell would have been given only a one-stroke penalty if he had replaced the ball to its original position (even though he was unaware it had moved in the first place); but, as it happened, he was given a two-stroke penalty under Rule 20-7 for playing the ball from the wrong place.

The minefield that is the rule book – admittedly there to protect players, both pro and amateur – was highlighted by Ernie Els’s reaction to hearing about the McDowell incident. Els said: “Listen, when it comes to the rules, I just ask a rules man because these rules are finicky and confusing at times.”

As if to underline his point, Els referred to an incident at the Byron Nelson Classic on the US Tour just two weeks ago. Els’s drive went into bushes and he only discovered after playing out he’d hit the wrong ball. He was assessed a two-stroke penalty. “I’m thinking, ‘you can’t play a wrong ball in a hazard’.”

Els, though, was wrong. The rules official was right.

So, even after all his years on tour, Els, like McDowell, inadvertently fell foul of the law. And if it happens with such regularity to seasoned tour players, you’ve got to wonder how many breaches – through plain ignorance – occur in club competitions right around the country on a daily or a weekly basis?

IN THE BAG

LUKE DONALD - BMW PGA Championship

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x.

Shoe: FootJoy.

Driver: TaylorMade RBZ (9.5 degrees).

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade RBZ Tour (15 degrees). Utility: Mizuno (17 degrees).

3-9 irons: Mizuno MP-59

PW: Mizuno MP-59

SW: Mizuno MP T II (54 degrees)

LW: Mizuno MP T II (60 degrees)

Putter: Odyssey W/H XG  #7

(Source: Sports Marketing Surveys Inc.)

Equipment: What’s hot

RICKIE FOWLER’S marketability as a bright young thing on tour has led to a big increase in cap sales and colourful shirts and trousers – which has pleased Puma no end – but the young American’s rise to saleable asset has also been reflected in an increased demand for the clubs he has in his hands.

The Cobra Amp driver and fairway woods used by Fowler have enjoyed a surge in popularity since his breakthrough win in the Wells Fargo championship at Quail Hollow recently. The driver – which features vibrant orange details on the shaft, club head and grip – has Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) designed to give players the option to set the face angle as open, neutral or closed to optimise ball flight for better distance and accuracy.

Another feature of the clubs – launched for public sale earlier this year – is a titanium clubhead with a semi-forged, milled Ti face which claims to provide more distance to shots. The driver is retailing between €269 and €299 here, while the fairway woods can be nabbed for between €199 and €229, depending on where you shop.

Mole screening offer

RATHER TIMELY, given the heat wave of the past week and the rush back on to the golf course, the Dublin-based “Mole Screening Clinic” – supported by Halpenny Golf – is running an information campaign to promote sensible skin protection for golfers, as well as offering a 25 per cent discount (worth €50) throughout June on all mole-mapping consultations, where moles and lesions are medically assessed and recorded for future tracking.

The advice from the clinic to golfers is to liberally apply SPF30+ broad spectrum sunscreen, which gives UVA and UVB protection. Golfers should use sunscreen 20 minutes before heading out and re-apply at least every two hours.

Up to 90 per cent of UV rays can pass through light clouds, so care is required on cloudy days as well as sunny ones. Sun-protective golf clothing is available in many pro shops.

Stat attack: Lawrie's figures add up nicely

PETER LAWRIE didn't have to look too hard at the Genworth Statistics after the BMW PGA Championship to find the secret to his best finish of the season so far: the Dubliner finished first in driving accuracy and first in hitting greens-in-regulations over the West Course, which all added up to a hugely productive week's work.

Lawrie hit 83.9 per cent of fairways and found 79.2 per cent of greens in regulation, to top both categories.

Although not known as a long-hitter on tour, Lawrie’s driving distance was very similar to that of world number one Luke Donald. Lawrie averaged 295.9 yards compared to Donald’s 298.4.

Not surprisingly, Spain’s Alvaro Qurios maintained his reputation as the longest off the tee. He averaged 337.3 yards

Rules of golf: Ball off tee at address

QUESTION: In the process of addressing his ball on the first tee, A inadvertently brushes the clubhead against the ball and it falls off the tee.

His friend, B, who is playing with him, advises A he has made a stroke and that it counts as a stroke and he must now play his second shot from where the ball now lies.

A argues that he is entitled to replace the ball onto the tee without any penalty. Who is right?

ANSWER: Under Rule 11-3, A is right. If a ball, when not in play, falls off a tee or is knocked off a tee by the player in addressing it, it may be re-teed, without penalty. However, if a stroke is made at the ball in these circumstances, whether the ball is moving or not, the stroke counts, but there is no penalty.