McDowell Penalty And Video: "One of those freak scenarios in golf."

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From an unbylined Belfast Telegraph story on Grame McDowell's two-stroke penalty today at the BMW Championship.

"I was standing probably from here to you," the Northern Irishman said, indicating a distance of some six feet. "I'm not sure what I could have done, but I felt something was wrong - the whole area felt like it was just kind of bouncing."

After the incident was reviewed on television - he had asked for that - he was judged to have caused the ball to move, even by only a fraction, and so that was a one-shot penalty. But McDowell did not then replace it into his original position before chipping out - and that added one more to his score.

"How are you supposed to attempt to place the ball when you're not sure it's moved in the first place? It's just a harsh one - one of those freak scenarios in golf.

"It's my fault. I probably should have called in a referee. The rules of golf are very precise and very in-depth and it's impossible to know every idiosyncrasy of them.

"I've cost myself a shot there by getting a little careless. Once the ref is there we are protected because we can't do anything wrong at that point - even if he gives you a wrong ruling it's correct because he's told you to do it."

Since we can't see what McDowell was looking at, it's inconclusive what he saw but as the story noted, he asked for the television review.

What's more impressive is how quickly announcer Renton Laidlaw was on top of this after the ball moved and noted that a referree should be called in.