Harold Varner III Penalised For Screwing In New Driver Head

The American fell foul of Rule 4-1.b in round one of the Players Championship

Harold Varner III Penalised For Screwing In New Driver Head

Hardold Varner III was penalised two strokes during the opening round of the Players Championship for a rather unique incident.

The American had a crack in his driver prior to his round on the range and didn't want to use it, so instead took his driver shaft out with him to the course and got a helper to bring him a head whilst on the course.

Getting a new driver delivered during the round would not have been a problem under the Rules of Golf, considering that he was only originally taking 13 clubs out with him.

However, he wasn't actually getting a full driver brought out to him, just the head. That meant that by screwing the head on during play, he was tinkering with his equipment and therefore breaking the Rules.

“So when they brought the head out and assembled it out there, it broke Rule 4. Can’t do that," PGA Tour vice president of rules and competition Mark Russell said.

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"They don’t want clubs assembled and adjusted on the golf course, so that’s the reason for the rule.”

Unfortunately for Varner, he even asked the Rules committee prior to going out if he could add a club during the round which they said yes to.

He clearly didn't ask them if he could add a driver head and screw it on during play.

Rule 4-1.b says - 'If the player starts a round with fewer than 14 clubs, he or she may add clubs during the roundup to the 14-club limit'

However, it then says that 'when adding or replacing a club, a player must not build a club from parts carried by anyone for the player during the round.'

This is what Varner fell foul of.

He eventually signed for a two-over-par 74.

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