Lack of 'bunkers' may be a blessing for Harrington

Padraig Harrington fell foul of "trial by television" last week, but fans at home are being told not to turn him in this week if they see him grounding his club on the sand in Bahrain.

By The Newsroom

Published 27th Jan 2011, 08:32 BST

Updated 27th Jan 2011, 08:32 BST

At this week's inaugural Volvo Golf Champions there are deemed to be no bunkers, just acres of sandy waste areas.

The European Tour's ruling allows players to take practice swings, move loose impediments and ground the club "lightly behind the ball" in all sand areas.

Chief referee Andy McFee said: "We have taken this decision to provide clarity for the players.

"The golf course is absolutely fine, but the blurring of the boundaries between desert and bunker, whilst visually attractive, potentially provides a major problem of definition."

The Yorkshire trio of Simon Dyson, Richard Finch and John Parry are all in action.

In the United States, Tiger Woods makes a first start of 2011 at the scene of his greatest, and last, major triumph – Torrey Pines.

Woods won the 2008 US Open at the San Diego course while nursing a broken leg. After a troubled 2010, he needs to return to those heights again having dropped to No 3 in the world.

Tiger Woods Yorkshire