Inkster should know better

Later today Ai Miyazato will start out as the leader at the LPGA Safeway Classic, as she chases her 5th victory of the year.

Julie Inkster should be out there trying to make up the 3 shots she trailed by in 2nd place. Instead she will be watching from home. She was DQ'ed after a viewer called in to report that Julie was seen using a weighted device, like a donut on a baseball bat, on her club while she endured a 30 minute wait on the 10th tee.

She had signed her card for a -5, 67, by by breaking rule 14-3 which says "  player cannot make a stroke or a practice swing using a club with a weighted donut or any other training device or swing aid"

I have already received comments complaining of the seeming triviality of the ruling but it is a good ruling and Julie should know better, especially when you read the last part " or any other training device or swing aid"

Can you imagine if Julie had of been slicing/ hooking/ topping the ball by the time she reached the 10th. If rule 14-3 did not exist, she could have flipped open her laptop notebook and reviewed a lesson from David Leadbetter, or got out her Medicus, or Momentus, or Rocco Mediate's Vjacket, or Peter Jacobsen's Swing jacket, or Jack's hit it from the inside thing that looks like a big microphone jacket, or her Kallassy Swing Magic, or the Zen Oracle, or the Lazerguide

Of course I exaggerate but you see the point. Once play begins you are playing with what you brought to the first tee and it's up to you and your ability to correct any problems you may be encountering.

The sad part in this case is that Julie could have swung 2 or 3 clubs to loosen up with no penalty.

So the next time you are waiting on a tee during a delay I suggest you keep doing what most of us do to keep loose. Head for the girl with the beer cart !!

Alena Sharp shot 74 and is at +11... Lorie Kane and Samantha Richdale missed the cut.

CANADIAN TOUR

Incidentally, speaking of rule infractions, Mexico's Jose de Jesus Rodriguez fired a -10, 61 to take a 3 shot lead into today's play at the Seaforth Country Classic. Trouble is he neglected to sign his scorecard before he left the scoring tent, and was also DQ'ed

That leaves BC's Darren Griff leading Saskatchewan's Kent Eger by a shot.

EUROPEAN TOUR

Sweden's Peter Hanson, squandered a 3 shot lead, but managed to hang on to get into a 3 way tie with Gary Boyd and Peter Lawrie and has just birdied the 2nd playoff hole to win and drastically improve his chances of making the European Ryder Cup team

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Remember to keep an eye out for Bernhard Langer if you are around the TV today. He starts the day 2 shots behind the leader Tom Lehman along with Fred Funk and JL Lewis at the Jeld-Win Tradition in Oregon.

If you have been following my posts you will know he is trying to be the first guy since Gary Player in 1987-88 to win 3 majors in a row and to really force Monty's hand a little, to select him for the Ryder Cup team !!

BryanAngus