The caddie for Jose Manuel Lara was banned by the European Tour after hiding an extra club from Lara's bag in a bush at the BMW International Open in Germany on Thursday.
Lara was disqualified after European Tour officials discovered his caddie, Mathias Vinson, created a ruse on the second hole of the round to dispose of the 15th club. Playing partners Damien McGrane and Peter Hedblom noticed the caddie going toward the bush.
"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.,'" said John Paramor, European Tour chief referee, according to Sky Sports.
Under normal circumstances, Lara would have been assessed a pair of two-shot penalties – one for each hole he had the extra club in the bag.
Though Lara was cleared of having any role in the incident, he was disqualified because he was held responsible for the egregious behavior of his caddie.
"It was clearly the caddie doing what he felt at the time was the right thing, but was clearly the wrong thing," Paramor said. "He's kind of been asked not to come back and that's how the matter has been resolved."
