Senden stabbed by bizarre driver

by Tony Webeck, PGA of Australia

For a fraction of a second, one of the game's best balls was made as a mere mortal.

The tee-shot of John Senden on the par-5 ninth during the opening round of the Australian PGA Championship went horribly wrong when his rider broke halfway through the swing, his rider collapsing a couple of centimeters into the ball in the ball that was left untouched on the tee.

While playing partner Geoff Ogilvy claimed that Senden had not deliberately waved the ball, the officials of the government arranged to determine if the battle would actually count.

When his driver was out of the game, Senden was told that he could play the ball while on the tee or took a free drop from the & # 39; obstruction & # 39; the veteran Queenslander did, making iron well wide of the fairway for his second shot, going to make bogey.

Officials carried out a further evaluation of the images and waited until Senden rounded off his round before he determined that the pronunciation "air swing & # 39; would stay and his score for the hole a bogey six.

Chief Referee of the European Tour John Paramor – who had witnessed a similar incident with Brian Waites in the Lancome Trophy more than 30 years ago – explained that the intention to swing to the ball could not be adequately substantiated and then a stroke would be considered.

Two-under at that time, Senden finished the first round, even after parting the bogey on the par-4 18th, but was philosophical about being punished a battle in such bizarre circumstances.

"There is no exception, it is just the rule", said Senden after a long consultation in the scorer's tent.

"Is not that how it works? You can not argue against that one (shot penalty).

"Unfortunately, if it is your intention to hit a shot and you do not hit it, it is one stroke, that's the way it goes.

"The actual club broke into the handle that came down in the impact area.

"I did not have a chance to actually stop the recording, so unfortunately this counts as one stroke.

"I've seen it before other players, but the first time it happened to me in a tournament.

"It was just the power of coming down and then right in front of my index finger on the right, and when the club collapsed in this area, I came down and I did not have a chance to stop taking it.

"The whole thing actually kind of shocked me."

Senden was not the only player in the group who was influenced by playing partner Harold Varner III, explaining that it remained a topic of discussion for the next five holes and both he and Geoff Ogilvy got confused.

"It affected us all, it was a momentum killer, it was a bit strange and, to be honest, it was bad," said Varner, the 2016 champion at Royal Pines.

"It was so bad that we still talked about it on No.14.

"He treated it well, he is a class act."