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 I unfortunately had one in my arsenal for two holes in a round a couple of weekends ago.
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, had I played 6 holes before discovering that he was carrying 15 clubs I still would have incurred a two-stroke penalty on each of the first two holes (four total), but no penalty for holes 3-6. I made this mistake because I was trying out a couple of different wedges on the practice range before my round and forgot to take one out. I realized the error on the second hole when I went to grab for my 60 degree wedge and noticed I still had the 64 degree wedge in my bag as well.
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. I did this immediately once I realized I had 15 clubs in my bag. Had I not done so, I would have been disqualified.
If I was playing match play, the ruling would have been quite different from stroke play and a little more confusing. My match score would be adjusted by losing one hole for each hole I 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 I realized I was carrying 15 clubs. I would wait until the second hole was complete to adjust the match score with two hole losses. If I had won the first two holes then the match will become all square after the two-hole adjustment. If I had lost the first two holes then I will then become four down after only playing two holes. This can become confusing, but I must be penalized for each of the first two holes I carried my “15th-club” regardless of whether I 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!
