American golfer Woody Austin has been slapped with a four-shot penalty for having 15 clubs in his bag on the second day of the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Woody Austin on route to T23rd in last week’s Reno Tahoe Open. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)

Austin commenced his round at 8.30am local time at one under par and it was on the third hole at Oak Hill he realised he had an extra club in his bag.

He advised a rules official who sadly confirmed a break of Rule 4-4 (Maximum of 14 clubs) and it meant Austin having to record double bogey at both the first and second holes that sent him to five over par for the event.

“I can’t say I was angry,” Austin said after a long pause.

“It was more shock. Pretty bummed and just disappointed in myself that I was that stupid.

“(My caddie) didn’t say much as it’s not his fault. It’s as much my fault as it is his. It’s both our jobs. If we would’ve been on the first tee on a normal day we would have caught it immediately.”

Austin’s blunder immediately rekindled memories of the most famous 15-club incident that unfolded on the final day of the 2001 Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes when Ian Woosnam was penalised two strokes for having 15 clubs in the bag.

Woosnam went into the final round very much in contention for a first Open Championship success but given Royal Lytham commences with a par three, it was not to the next tee that his Irish born caddy, Miles Byrne uttered the now famous line to the wee Welshman – “Woosie, you are going to go bombalistic!”

Austin, 49 resides in Tampa, Florida and he put the disappointment behind him to birdie his fifth and sixth holes and get back to three over par.

Austin, who has four PGA Tour wins to his credit including this year’s Sanderson Farms Championship, is competing in his 10th PGA Championship.

The former bank teller’s best PGA finish was runner-up in 2007 to Tiger Woods at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma.