U.S. Open Alternate Has Clubs Taken Away Mid-Practice Round

Mike Davis's accurate suggestion that only those who study Chambers Bay in depth have a chance to win along with his view that players have been taking practice rounds lightly in recent years and couple those ideas with the image of Fox Sports announcer Joe Buck playing the course during weekend practice rounds (and holding up Rory McIlroy), and the plight of Australian golfer Clint Rice looks just a tad unseemly.

As most of you know, alternates at the U.S. Open are not allowed to play practice rounds even though the top two alternates stand a decent chance of getting in the event. It seems Australian Rice got some bad info and was told he was eligible to play a practice round. Rice teed up with former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, until the fourth hole when he was approached by a USGA official.

Ben Everill reports.

His clubs were taken away and the 34-year-old Tasmanian was left to walk the final five holes of the nine he'd intended to play in conversation only with Ogilvy.

USGA rules state that alternates can use all the practice facilities, but are not allowed to play on the course proper.

A USGA official later confirmed Rice had been previously given a document which stated that he had no playing privileges.

Ogilvy said he understood the USGA rules, but that the incident was a shame.

"It's a bit silly if you're not holding anybody up or interfering with their practice," Ogilvy said.