Most everyone owns a club that adds two strokes to their score on every hole, but most of us take it out of our bag before we tee it up. However, there are still players who put it in their bag to start a round, and quickly change their mind when they realize how much it’s hurting their score. Ian Woosnam had one in his bag at the 2001 British Open, and Jim Furyk added one to his arsenal for two holes at the Barclays last Saturday.
It is, of course, the “15th-club.” This club, no matter how well you hit it, will never lower your score. Rule 4-4 prohibits you from carrying any more than 14 clubs in your bag during a round. The penalty for carrying that “15th-club” in stroke play is two strokes for each hole you carry the club with a maximum of four strokes. For example, this last weekend at the Barclays if Jim Furyk had played 6 holes before discovering that he was carrying 15 clubs he still would have incurred a two-stroke penalty on each of the first two holes (four total), but no penalty for holes 3-6.
Rule 4-4 also requires that, once the player discovers there are 15 clubs in his bag, a club must be declared “out of play” for the remainder of the round. Furyk did this immediately when he realized he had 15 clubs in his bag. Had he not done so, he would have been disqualified.
Should Furyk have been playing match play, the ruling is quite different form stroke play and a little more confusing. His match score would be adjusted by losing one hole for each hole he carried 15 clubs with the maximum number of holes that can be lost is two. Here’s how it works: Let’s say during the play of the second hole Furyk realized he was carrying 15 clubs. He would wait until the second hole was complete to adjust the match score with two hole losses. If Furyk had won the first two holes then the match will become all square after the two-hole adjustment. If had lost the first two holes then he will then become four down after only playing two holes. This can become confusing, but Furyk must be penalized for each of the first two holes he carried his “15th-club” regardless of whether he won or lost those holes.
So make your club selections carefully not just during your round, but before it as well. And leave your “15th-club” in the trunk, no matter how well you’re hitting it on the range!
