Rule book hits French hard at World Cup in Mexico

IAN WOOSNAM, at the centre of drama in the Open championship last year, has now watched somebody else suffer at the hands of the Rules of Golf. Two people, in fact.

Woosnam, given a two-stroke penalty when leading at Lytham after the discovery of an extra club in his bag, expected to be congratulating French pair Thomas Levet and Raphael Jacquelin on breaking 60 in the opening fourballs of the World Cup in Mexico.

But then both went in the hazard twice at Vista Vallarta's final hole and one of Levet's penalties came without him even touching the ball.

Hoping to play his fourth shot from the bank by the green, Levet was away getting a club when his ball started rolling and fell back in among the rocks.

English referee John Paramor confirmed their worst fears that it meant another penalty shot and by taking a double-bogey six they dropped out of the lead.

Instead it was only Canadians Mike Weir and Ian Leggatt who scored a 13-under-par 59, and they took a one-stroke advantage over Australians Craig Parry and Adam Scott into yesterday's foursomes with France joint third alongside South Korea.

Woosnam and Bradley Dredge are four shots behind in seventh place, as are Scots Paul Lawrie and Alastair Forsyth. Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley winners in 1997 are one further back, with England's Justin Rose and Paul Casey tied for 16th on seven under alongside Americans Phil Mickelson and David Toms.

When Levet, runner-up to Ernie Els in this summer's Open at Muirfield, was asked if he had thought about Jean Van de Velde's closing triple-bogey seven at Carnoustie in 1999 he replied: "I'm far from that, I hope.

"If you start thinking about that then you start thinking about my ex-girlfriend was born that day or my great-great grandfather broke his leg that day. Then you start not playing golf at all.

"You're trying to think what to do. You try to do the best you can to finish the hole.

"The rule is a little bit unfair, I think. It's bad luck when you have nothing to do with the ball moving.

"But it's good for you guys 'the media' because it gives you something to write about. It's better than boring drive, wedge to six-foot, make the putt.

"We were lucky we didn't go 65 on the last hole. That slope is so big the ball could keep rolling in."

Jacquelin, who had hit his first and third shots into the water, added: "It's never boring for the French on the 18th!"

At least they have three days to repair the damage, and Levet joked: "I think we would have taken 61 at the start of the day.

"Three more of those, and we will be 44 under par. I think that will be okay."

Woosnam said: "It was sad for the French. They were a bit unfortunate and really only hit one bad shot all day."

As for Wales' start he added: "We didn't hole enough putts, but 63 is all right."

Rose, like Dredge making his debut in an event which now offers a million-dollar first prize, said: "It was really frustrating.

"We had a bit of a ropey start."

Casey, the replacement for the injured Nick Faldo, added: "I struggled with the putting but I think we have a strong foursomes partnership."

Ireland were among the favourites following Harrington's million-dollar win over Tiger Woods in the Target World Challenge on Sunday. But McGinley said: "We just didn't click. It wasn't our day nothing happened."

Harrington added: "There's still a long way to go, and five shots are nothing. In fourballs you can try too hard and get on the back of yourself when the putts don't drop."

Forsyth another playing for the first time and called in only last Wednesday because of Andrew Oldcorn's bad back and Lawrie came home in a seven-under 29.

"We made the putts on the back nine, and that was the difference," said Forsyth.

Lawrie, who benefited from Van de Velde's 72nd-hole calamity in The Open at Carnoustie and might yet be grateful for the latest French farce, said: "The foursomes will sort the tournament out."