Change of format?

In the wake of last weekend's President's Cup debacle, an American headline-writer looked to the 2002 staging and asked: "Who will show up in South Africa?" And there was a suggestion that after regaining the trophy by a crushing 10-point margin, the biggest defeat for any team since 1967, the US might send a junior varsity side to defend it.

Greg Norman doesn't consider such a notion to be all that far-fetched. "I think it will be very interesting to see which American players go to South Africa," said the Shark. But what of team spirit? "Even in losing, there was a greater spirit among our guys than in the US team," he replied. "And that's even with language problems."

Norman, beaten by Stewart Cink in last Sunday's singles, went on to suggest that in a change of format, the winners of the Ryder Cup should play the International team for the President's Cup the following year. "I think the Europeans would love it," he said. "It would be good to see European causes sharing in the $2.5 million that goes to charity.

"But when I put the idea to Tim Finchem (US Tour commissioner), I got a very cool response." Which, I gathered, didn't surprise the Shark, who knows a thing or two about money and power.

THIS DAY IN GOLF HISTORY. . . . On October 28th 1990, Greg Norman became top money winner on the USPGA Tour with $1,165,477. He also captured the Vardon Trophy with a stroke-average of 69.10. But the PGA of America named Masters and British Open champion Nick Faldo as their Player of the Year.

TEASER: A player lifts his ball after declaring it unplayable and then discovers that the ball was lying in ground under repair. Does the declaration and the lifting of the ball commit the player to proceeding under Rule 28 (Ball unplayable)?

ANSWER: No. Provided the player has not put a ball into play under Rule 28, he is not precluded by that rule from taking relief, without penalty, under the ground under repair rule (Rule 25). In matchplay, however, the player would be in breach of Rule 9-2 (information as to strokes taken), if he declared his ball unplayable and then, after his opponent had played his next stroke, he proceeded under the ground under repair rule.