Stymied by rules

Rookie champion Ben Curtis - the man from Kent in Ohio who conquered all in Kent in England - was a worthy winner of the coveted Claret Jug.

But for all Curtis' charm, courage and no little competence in fending off the world's best players, the tournament also came close to having its card marked by the rule of inflexibility.

The disqualification of Briton Mark Roe and his then playing partner Jesper Parnevik after they failed to exchange each other's scorecards on the first tee before the start of the third round, clearly contravened the rules laid down by the sport's august governing body, the Royal & Ancient.

Neither player disputed that, and it is evident by the lack of furore surrounding the incident that there was no over-emotional outcry at the decision which denied both players going into the final round, an absence felt all the more cruelly by Roe as he was among the pace-setters.

Roe, who had taken a tortuous route to qualify, had scored a marvellous four-under-par 67 to equal the best round up to then posted in the first three days of the event to put him in contention for the biggest day of his lengthy career. He was poised to be in third place at the end of the penultimate round offering the tantalising prospect of partnering world number one Tiger Woods in the final round.

But it was not to be, Sheffield-based Roe was out and on his way home - crestfallen. One of 'the great days of my life', as Roe ruefully reflected, had been crushed.

Ironically, on the same day another pairing - Phil Price and Stuart Appleby - had made the identical mistake only for it to be spotted. But because the mistake had been detected it was able to be rectified.

That beggars the question why the act of actually leaving the score-recorder's premises should be the final arbiter of a gaffe that was made in all honesty and in no way whatsoever constituted an attempt to gain an advantage.

The European Golf Tour's chief referee John Paramor was in no doubt about the strength of the rule which heralded the end of Roe's involvement in the Open. "It would be wrong to react to one incident and change a rule in these circumstances because it would destroy one of the great principles of the game. That is, it is up to the player to attest that score. At the end of the day it is the player's responsibility," said Paramor.

But in deference to the love of the game, there is also a responsibility to the paying public. And the thousands of golf fans, many of whom would have upheld the R & A's ruling, were deprived of the chance of seeing another valid challenge for the championship. That it would have been a home-grown challenge merely added to the dismay.

What was impressive was the way in which Roe handled himself at a post-decision press conference during which his heart must have been close to bursting. Throughout, he handled himself with a dignity and candour that remains one of the underpinning bulwarks of professional golf. Yes, there is mega-money at stake besides the fame, but it is a sport that resonates honesty and eschews all forms of cheating.

Such dignified behaviour was exemplified too by eventual joint runner-up Thomas Bjorn, who was coasting to his first major championship only for his round to be buried by a blasted bunker three holes from glory.

As camera and microphone closed in on his creased countenance after the realisation that the Claret Jug had been ripped from his grasp by the 'unknown' and unflappable Curtis, Bjorn was asked whether he would go home and 'shed a tear or two'. The Dane studiously replied: "No, it's only a game."

Now that is grace under pressure.

Agree or disagree? Hit back at tony.kelly@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 10:00 Tuesday, July 22, 2003