The big question this week is IN or OUT? 

I'm not talking EU - I'm talking rakes in bunkers. It was Open Championship Regional Qualifying on Monday at Moortown (more of that later). 

The R&A always have the rakes out of the bunker for the qualifying, when at Moortown recommend them being left in. 

The USGA and the R&A does state, "Ultimately, it is a matter for the Committee to decide where it wishes rakes to be placed." 

So the governing bodies of golf are not brave enough to make a definitive decision on where a rake should be left! We might talk more about the governing bodies later after the US Open!! 

With bunkers at different courses having many styles and shapes different bunkers often require different rake strategies. For the majority of Moortown bunkers especially after the re design of so many, a position of rake head in the bunker with the handle end easily accessible for the next user would be the best statement.

   

You would also define that it needs to be in an area where it is least likely to affect the movement of the ball. I will leave the discussion to carry on but this would be my take on a question that is frequently asked in the Pro Shop.

 

Invitation Day

Invitation Day on Saturday was won by Adrian Hinchliffe and his guest Chris Gray, beating Andrew Milner and his guest James Lavine on count back. 

Unfortunately for Andrew they would have won but for a simply mistake of a score being in the wrong column meaning they only scored two points on the 15th not 3 for Andrew's 4 nett 3. 

So when you've had a good score in a team event, don't just check the points (your not responsible for those), it's the gross score that matters.

High praise from the R&A

The course received high praise from the R&A for the last of the Open Championship Regional Qualifiers for a few years. 

The scoring on a blustery day was good with Steven Robins leading the way with a 2 under par 69. Nick McCarthy again made local knowledge count with a fine 70, which might have been better had he not been so accurate with his second into the last which hit the flag and ended up 20 feet away. Ben Firth also qualified with level par 71. 

 

Controversy at Oakmont

The US Open brought golf to to forefront of the sport pages this week for all the wrong reasons. 

Fortunately Dustin Johnson seemed unaffected by the crash handling of a ruling by the USGA over his ball moving on the 5th green. 

This is the USGA statement.

Sorry for Shane Lowery and Lee Westwood, but Johnson certainly deserved it.