Top players using illegal clubs

Some of the world's top players were almost certainly using illegal golf clubs at Royal St George's today.

That amazing admission has been made by Peter Dawson, secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club which governs the sport and promotes the world's most historic tournament.

Dawson said: "I have no personal knowledge or reason to believe that golfers in this Championship have drivers that are nonconforming.

But he added: "It is possible that they do, inadvertently, have these without any way of finding out."

Tiger Woods has voiced concern that drivers that don't conform to strict regulations are being used by professional players.

The world No1 even went so far as to confront a rival he believed was using an illegal driver that gave him vital extra distance off the tee.

The problem, as Dawson conceded, is that there's no easy way of checking if the 156 golfers in The Open were competing on a level playing field. In the United States it was recently announced that from the start of next year competitors on the PGA Tour will be able to submit their drivers for pre-event scrutinising.

Now Dawson has revealed that a similar test will be introduced before next year's Open at Troon.

He said: "I don't think that anybody is doing anything untoward here but, come January, we will have the means available for players to assure themselves that their clubs do conform."