If the furore over a botched pin position during the British Open International qualifier at Sunningdale wasn't bad enough, it prompted more questions about the R&A's choice of venue for its flagship event. After several of the early starters had gone through the parthree second hole where Brett Rumford's four-putt from just two feet wasn't the only tale of woe, the R&A decided to move the pin, and the hole had to played again.

As if that wasn't farcical enough, why is international qualifying for the only major championship staged on a links played on a parkland course?

It's probably a waste of time asking the R&A.

MICHELLE FINDS IT'S A LONG WIE TO THE TOP

The on-going saga of Michelle Wie's fall from grace continued at last week's US Open in North Carolina where she withdrew after 10 holes of the second round with an injured wrist.

This was the teenager's second withdrawal in her last three events, and this time she called it quits following a miserable 82 in the first round, and a 42 for the front nine of her second round. "Maybe she injured her wrist writing 42 on her scorecard, " someone suggested.

WHAT'S IN A NAME FOR TIGER? LOTS, ACTUALLY

The recent revelation that Tiger Woods's wife Elin had already been admitted to hospital in Orlando by the time the US Open got under way makes Woods's eventual secondplace "nish at Oakmont all the more impressive. Even though it was a routine admittance, he must have been under added stress during the championship and to end up just one stroke behind Angel Cabrera was some achievement.

Woods also explained the logic behind the decision to name his daughter Sam, as apparently his late father Earl used to call him Sam when he was a kid.

Born Eldrick, known worldwide as Tiger, and called Sam by his old man.

Go figure.