Golf: Duck droppings stink

SYDNEY - The Australasian PGA Tour has no plans to uphold the complaints of David Hartshorne who claimed duck droppings cost him a place in the New Zealand Open.

The Hutt professional was angry when denied a request for relief after discovering duck dung was on the line of a putt he needed to sink to qualify for the $750,000 tournament in Auckland next week.

Hartshorne missed the 11m putt in a playoff at the Shandon Golf Club in Wellington on Monday after NZ Open tournament director Phil Aickin, who was doubling as referee at the pre-qualifying event, ruled he could not lift the dung or brush it aside.

Hartshorne, who claimed the dung was a loose impediment and should have been able to be removed, has protested in writing to the Professional Golfers' Association in a bid to have the ruling overturned and to be given a start in the final qualifying at The Grange in Auckland on Monday.

He has also filed a letter of protest with the PGA, although it was indicated yesterday that he may be wasting his time.

Australasian PGA Tour chief executive Andrew Georgiou doubted the matter would reach the board and, if so, he had no plans to over-rule Aickin.

"It's a case of whether the duck droppings are a loose impediment and it really depends on the situation, but it sounds like a storm in a teacup to me," Georgiou said.

"Phil Aickin is a very experienced tournament director and I'm sure he would have made the right call on the day. It's a bit much when you start to get your back up about duck droppings."

Aickin said the dung was not loose and could be seen to have adhered to the green and the ball would have rolled over it almost unimpeded.

He said the chances of Hartshorne making the putt was between one in 15 or 20, although the golfer disagreed.

- NZPA