Beware of the flying camera! An errant shot could be fatal at the Postage Stamp

You don’t need me to tell you how spectacular the Postage Stamp is at Royal Troon.

But you’ll have been enjoying it on your television screens in even more glorious detail this week thanks to a roving camera on the 8th.

This fantastic piece of tech is strung on high from two towers close to the grandstand running right down the left hand side of the hole. It sweeps along the 123-yard par 3 on a series of support wires.

Think highwire walkers and you get the drift.

Admittedly, it’s going to take a shocker of a gap wedge to hit this camera while it’s in full flight but the Rules of Golf need to cater for any scenario they might see during play.

And if you’ve seen some of the shanks and pull hooks on display in certain quarters already this week, you wouldn’t say it was impossible.

Would players get to replay their stroke if they hit the Postage Stamp camera?

So if someone actually manages this inglorious feat, what happens? They surely get a do-over. Right?

Erm, no. There is a Local Rule in place which defines the camera and the elevated support wires as integral objects.

You don’t get relief from integral objects. They’re part of the challenge of playing the course. If a player’s ball hits the camera or those wires, they can’t replay the stroke.

But there is an exception to this. If that camera or wires are on the player’s line of play and their ball then hits them, they have to replay the stroke in that instance.

So let’s hope none of the players at The Open tangle with this high-rise act – because it could have a very unpleasant effect on their scorecard.

Now have your say

What do you think of this camera rule at The Open? Why not let me know your thoughts by leaving me a comment on X.

• NOW READ: You’ll never see these Open rules in force at your club

• NOW READ: How are The Open cracking down on slow play?