Former American tennis professional Gigi Fernandez is considering a future in tournament golf because she finds, among other things, that the game has made her a nicer person. Reflecting on her retirement from tennis three years ago, 36-year-old Fernandez found herself waking up each morning "with nothing to do and nothing to compete for."

So she thought about golf, which wasn't difficult, given that she manages to play a rather useful game off one handicap. But what about this nice bit? "Well," she replied, "in tennis you root for your opponent. You hope she gets hurt. You hope she breaks an ankle."

And what of golf? "Golf is different," she explained. "In golf, you appreciate an opponent's good shots. You still want to win, but you can say `Good putt' and mean it. That's nice." Indeed it is. Now, I wonder where I've been going wrong . . . .

This Day In Golf History: On August 19th 1949, 15-year-old Marlene Bauer won the inaugural USGA Girls's Junior Championship in Philadelphia. Ms Bauer, who stood 5ft 3in, beat Barbara Bruning two-up in the 18-hole final. The field for this under-18 event also included Barbara McIntire and Barbara Romack who, too, would go on to gain major distinction in the women's game.

Teaser: A player elects to take relief from an immovable obstruction or abnormal ground condition and lifts his ball. He then realises that the only area in which he may drop under the rules is such that his ball, when dropped, will almost certainly be unplayable. He replaces his ball and plays it from its original position. What is the ruling?

Answer: The player was entitled to lift the ball to take relief under Rule 24 or 25. However, by subsequently deciding not to take relief, his right to lift the ball was negated and he incurred a penalty stroke under Rule 18-2a for having lifted his ball in play.