A European Tour caddy has been banned ‘indefinitely’ over a bizarre incident that led to the disqualification of Spain’s Jose Manuel Lara after the first round of the BMW International Open in Germany.

Argentinean born Mathias Vinson had sought to hide a 15th club in Lara’s bag in bushes at the second hole of the Gut Larcenhof course in Pulheim.

No blame can be attributed to Spain's Jose Manuel Lara following the actions of his caddy. (Photo - Jenny Matthews/www.golfflle.ie)

Playing partner, Damien McGrane of Ireland thought the caddy was heading into the bushes for a ‘call of nature’.

However that was not the case and with McGrane confronting the caddy with arms open and asking:  “What the hell are you doing?”

Vinson realising the errors of his way started apologising profused and then advised Lara he was trying to hide the fact he had 15 clubs in the bag.

It meant a two-stroke penalty to Lara for each of the two holes he played with a maximum of a four stroke penalty in the Spaniard’s eventual round of 73.

However McGrane advised Lara to bring the matter to the notice of Chief Referee, John Paramour as they continued down the second hole.

Paramour’s initial comment was:  “It is so bizarre I will have to go away to think about it.”

Paramour returned to speak to all concerned after Lara handed in his scorecard but to advise the Spaniard he was being disqualified from the Euro 2m tournament given the player is responsible for a caddies action.

“Jose Manuel’s caddy noticed he had a 15th club and on the second hole he attempted to lose it in a thick bush,” said Paramour.

“He was seen entering the bush with the bag of clubs by his playing partners (Ireland’s Damien McGrane and Swede Peter Hedblom), who thought it was a little bit suspicious.

“They went and asked the chap: ‘What are you doing?’ and he sort of fumbled out an answer saying ‘I’ve got this wrong – I’ve done something bad. I wish it hadn’t happened, etc etc’.

“It was clear the club was out of the bag and in the bush at the time. He admitted it straight away and regretted his action.

“A ruling was sought over what was the penalty for carrying an extra club and he was given two shots for the first hole and two for thesecond.”

Vinson, like Lara had been caught in a traffic jam coming to the course and actually alighted from the car he was in to jog the three kilometresof so to the course.

Lara arrived at the course from his Dusseldorf hotel and with just around an hour before his tee off.

In his haste, Vinson missed noticing the 15th club in Lara’s bag.

“Hopefully we won’t have too many more of those,” added Paramour.

“We interviewed the player and are perfectly satisfied that he had no knowledge of what was going on.

“It was clearly the caddie doing what he felt at the time was the right thing, but was clearly the wrong thing. He’s kind of been asked notto come back and that’s how the matter has been resolved.”

The incident immediately rekindled memories of the bizarre 15th club incident involving Masters champion, Ian Woosnam at the 2001 British Open and at Royal Lytham and St. Annes that will again play host to golf’s oldest Major next month.

Ireland’s Miles Byrne suggested to Woosnam he would ‘bombalistic’ when he was informed he was carrying 15 clubs for the Welshman.

The incident also cost Woosnam a two stroke penalty, any chance of capturing a first British Open title, a £225,000 first prize cheque and a potential place in the European Ryder Cup team.

Paramour was the referee also on that occasion.

And Martin Kaymer found himself in a quandary ahead of his secondround tee off after someone stole his golf shoes from the storage area at GutLacenhof.

“It’s not the shoes I am concerned about but the specially made insertsI had in the shoes,” said Kaymer who shot a first round 71.

“I’ve managed to get another pair of shoes but will have to waitto get home tonight to fit another pair of inserts.”