As can be seen from the story above, George W Bush is a dab hand at motivating professional golfers. But he has no aspirations to join their ranks. Recently in Texas, the US President rose at sun-up, spoke by phone to his budget director, made a 7 a.m. start to a round at the Ridgewood CC - and promptly drove into trees. Then, with a suitably sheepish grin, he shrugged: "So I won't be a professional golfer."

By presidential standards of the last few decades, he shouldn't be too concerned, given that the White House has not had an accomplished, golfing incumbent since John F Kennedy, 40 years ago.

In the event, when Bush hit a second drive off the first, an observer in a waiting fourball decided to fetch the President's errant ball as a souvenir. Which prompted Bush to remark: "If you can find the first one, you're a pretty good bird dog." Yassir.

This day in golf history . . . On September 1st, 1954, Richard Nixon made this response when asked if US president, Dwight D Eisenhower, spent too much time on the golf course: "If the President spent as much time playing golf as (Harry) Truman spent playing poker, then the President would be able to beat Ben Hogan."

Teaser: B's ball was lying badly. B was deliberating what action to take when A, his fellow-competitor, said: "You have no shot at all. If I were you, I would declare the ball unplayable." Was A giving advice, contrary to Rule 8-1?

Answer: Yes. A's suggestion could have influenced B "in determining his play". Thus, it constituted advice. It did not constitute "information on the Rules", which is not "advice".

Ryder Cup countdown (see above) . . . United States: Jimmy Demaret - 6 wins; Billy Maxwell - 4; Ben Hogan, Billy Burke, Johnny Golden, Chip Beck - 3 each; Chick Harbert, Wilfred Cox, Ralph Guldahl, Bob Rosburg, Lew Worsham - 2 each. Europe: Paul Broadhurst, John Jacobs - 2 each.