\u201cIt\u2019s probably a big thing for the amateur golf lovers out there and trying to dissect the rules, but when you have world-class rules officials, you can\u2019t add anything. In that instance, you\u2019re just an interested bystander.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I can assure you, that every single person on the rules\u2019 committee would have been trying to find a way to get the player out of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not the police. Professional referees are not the police. We don\u2019t want to penalise players, we want to help and quite often the first thing you will say to a player when they put their hand up is, \u2018how can I help?\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not policeman issuing tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lowry had a tough third round following the controversy that transpired the day before. Starting the day even to par, his two birdies (on holes 10 and 13) were offset by a pair bogeys (two and 17), but a triple bogey on the par-four 14th left him three over and out of contention heading into the final round.<\/p>\n
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He was asked on Friday whether it was right that officials made him aware of his potential rule breach before his round was complete.<\/p>\n
The incident happened on the 12th hole and Lowry was alerted that something was wrong when he was walking down the 15th fairway.<\/p>\n
McLeod said it was a difficult balancing act for the officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you not tell him that there\u2019s a potential of a penalty, and he plays out the round one way and finds out he\u2019s incurred a two-stroke penalty and he misses the cut? Or do you tell him early so he can change the course of his round?,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s good to have the really experienced rules official making that call.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it comes to the major events, McLeod said everything is heightened, including the pressure on rules officials to get their decisions correct.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe players that come from the big tours are accustomed to stopping when something isn\u2019t right and checking,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cBecause they\u2019re playing for their careers and playing for lots of money, they don\u2019t want to make a mistake, so they\u2019ll get a referee involved to make sure that, if there is an issue, the referee is taking the blame.\u201d<\/p>\n
McLeod may be the only person planning to travel directly from the glamour and the prestige of the Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland to Royal Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea for the PNG Open.<\/p>\n