The Advertiser, with help from Ko Olina director of golf Greg Nichols, is offering this question-and-answer feature on the rules of golf. If you have a question regarding the rules of golf e-mail cmurayama@honoluluadvertiser.com. Nichols recommends readers go to www.PlayGolfAmerica.com for information on golf programs in their area. For additional rules information, ask your local Aloha Section PGA professional or go online to www.USGA.org.

Phil Mickelson was quoted last week saying that the USGA has been growing the rough so deep at Winged Foot, site of the U.S. Open that begins today, that members have been losing countless numbers of balls in the deep grass for the past month.

He is betting that someone in the tournament is going to accidentally hit one of those balls and incur the penalty for playing the wrong ball. Mickelson thinks this will happen despite the USGA having forecaddies along every hole marking the spot where a ball comes to rest.

Rule 15-3 states that a player making a stroke or strokes at a wrong ball that is not in a hazard incurs a penalty of two shots. It doesn't matter if a forecaddie accidentally marks the wrong ball.

Rule 12-2 clearly places the responsibility for playing the proper ball with the player.

The player must then correct the mistake by finding his ball and playing that ball or else proceed under the rules.

In 1974, the U.S. Open was also played at Winged Foot. The head professional at the time was Claude Harmon, winner of the 1948 Masters, and father to several outstanding PGA club professionals, including Butch Harmon, Tiger's former instructor.

The rough was so long in 1974 that Harmon had been betting all comers for weeks that no one would break par.

He literally had thousands of dollars riding on the outcome. The rough was so deep that even the USGA, which generally is thought to love deep rough and high scores, was concerned that someone might get hurt playing out of the deep grass. The week of the event, they ordered Harmon to instruct his greens superintendent to lower the mower heights and bring down the rough.

Harmon, however, was concerned with protecting his bets, and had instead instructed his superintendent to actually raise the mower heights.

The rest is history — the final result became known as the "Massacre at Winged Foot."

Not one player came close to breaking par. The tournament was won by Hale Irwin at 7 over par. It's not known whether or not Harmon ever split his proceeds with the superintendent but I certainly hope so.