Talks are ongoing between the USGA and the R&A to resolve the issue, but so far no compromise has been reached. 'We need everyone to get on the same page so we can avoid things like that,' he said, as he prepared for Royal Lytham at the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond this week. Lehman says the ruling bodies must get together to prevent such scenarios. Theoretically, victory in the Open with an 'illegal' driver could mean the difference between winning and finishing second on the US order of merit. This means golfers who usually play on the US Tour may use a non-conforming driver in an event that counts towards their order of merit standing. The R&A, governing body for the rest of the world, disagrees and is allowing the clubs to be used in its showcase event. The USGA, responsible for the rules of the game in the United States and Mexico, has banned clubs it believes do not conform to the rules, such as the Callaway ERC II and the TaylorMade R300 Series. The huge rift between the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the United States Golf Association, the two ruling bodies, may widen further during next week's Open at Royal Lytham. The governing bodies of golf must get together quickly over controversial clubs such as the Callaway ERC II driver or risk irreparable damage to the game, according toTom Lehman, who won the Open in 1996 when it was last held at Royal Lytham.
