An extraordinary case of marshal incompetence might have cost South Korean K.J. Choi victory at last week's US PGA Championship in Wisconsin.

Choi incurred what amounted to a two-stroke penalty during the second round at Whistling Straits after failing to find his ball within five minutes, the maximum time allowed by the rules, at the par-four fourth.

Choi eventually finished only two strokes behind play-off winner Vijay Singh, so imagine his reaction when he learnt that far from being lost, his ball had been sitting pretty in a fairway bunker, further from the tee than where the searchers were looking.

It was found by Australian Adam Scott, who was playing in the following threesome.

It seems the two marshals stationed on the left side of the fairway were asleep at the wheel, poorly situated and barely paying attention. "It's not easy to see the ball but the marshals were in the wrong spot," Scott said.

Scott originally thought the ball was his, but it had a different number. When a marshal told him that Choi had just lost a ball, the penny dropped.

Choi had to return to the tee to play his third and eventually made a triple bogey at the hole, but had he found his first tee shot, Scott reckons he would probably have made par at worst.

"His ball was sitting perfectly in the bunker and he only had about 150 yards to the hole," Scott continued. "It effectively cost K.J. three shots."

Amazingly, Choi laughed when told the news: " I'll learn from the experience and next time I'll look everywhere."

Choi finished at six under, and Singh won a three-way play-off after finishing eight under.

In this week's event, the NEC Invitational at the Firestone course in Akron, Ohio, Australian Peter Senior received a rude shock when he learnt of his first-round draw.

The 45-year-old Queenslander, who is only a part-time player these days, has been paired with none other than Tiger Woods for today's first round.

And while the eight-time major champion is not quite the dominant force of old, he will still attract the day's largest gallery, raising the stakes considerably for Senior, who has not played a serious tournament since April.

"When somebody told me the draw, I thought they were joking," Senior said.

"I'll be as nervous as a kitten on the first tee. If I make contact, I'll be doing well."

Senior was half joking, and admitted that he was actually excited at the prospect of playing with Woods: "I've always enjoyed playing with guys like that. It lifts you a little."

Senior was ranked 27th in the world at the end of 1993, but is now 212th.

He is part of a 10-strong Australian contingent in the 77-man field, joining Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Mark Hensby, Stephen Leaney, Peter Lonard, Rod Pampling, Craig Parry, Brett Rumford and Adam Scott.

Article from TheAge.com.au