McDOWELL COMPLAINS ABOUT STRANGE LITTLE FIDDLY RULES AFTER TWO-STROKE PENALTY GIVES HIM A CLOSING 8

FROM THE Telegraph Sport WEBSITE

 Graeme McDowell received a two-stroke penalty after a 'freak' incident caused him to fall foul of golf's 'strange little fiddly rules'

The penalty turned the Ryder Cup hero's closing 6 into a triple bogey 8 as he started the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth with a disappointing 74.

McDowell's drive was leaked into the trees and as he went to weigh up his options for his second shot the ball moved.

"I was standing probably from here to you," the Northern Irishman said, indicating a distance of some six feet.

"I'm not sure what I could have done, but I felt something was wrong - the whole area felt like it was just kind of bouncing."

McDowell requested that the incident be reviewed on television, which it was, only for the referee to judge that he had caused the ball to move, incurring a one-shot penalty.
McDowell then failed to replace it to its original position before chipping out, adding one more to his score.

He said: "How are you supposed to attempt to place the ball when you're not sure it's moved in the first place? It's just a harsh one - one of those freak scenarios in golf.
"It's my fault. I probably should have called in a referee. The rules of golf are very precise and very in-depth and it's impossible to know every idiosyncrasy of them.
"I've cost myself a shot there by getting a little careless. Once the ref is there we are protected because we can't do anything wrong at that point - even if he gives you a wrong ruling it's correct because he's told you to do it.
"There's cameras around and so many strange little fiddly rules that we are all so damned scared to take relief.
"It ends up slowing the pace of play down because you have to call a ref and he might be 10 minutes away."