The man emerged from the bag room at one of the private clubs in Western Pennsylvania -- I will not say which club -- and barked, "Hey, next time you do a list about the most annoying things on the golf course, make sure you mention these."

He pointed to one of those oversized head covers for drivers that can be anything from an animal (usually a Tiger) to a school mascot (a Spartan is unusually big) to a Disney character (Mickey Mouse has BIG ears). While most players seem to like such covers, he, apparently, does not.

"Too hard to put on," he said. "And they take up too much space in the bag room. Makes it harder for us."

Here, then, is a list of the 10 most annoying things on the golf course from a man who has not one, but two, oversized head covers.

• Broadcasting a shot. A no-no under any circumstance. A player feels bad enough if he hits the ball in the water. Or the woods. He does not need to hear "Ooooh," or "Too bad," from someone in the group. Save the comments for good shots only.

• Hit the ball. The greatest player in the world is also one of the fastest players in the world. Standing over your shot, frozen, is not going to make it any better.

• Stay off the tee. When it's not your turn, don't stand on the tee box with the players in front of you. Don't even pull up to the tee when it's not your turn. If they wanted a gallery, they'd sell tickets.

• Stay on the path. When you park your car, do you pull the passenger-side tires on the sidewalk? Then why drive on the cart path and pull the tires on the grass when you park near the green? The pavement is there for a reason. It can't grow grass.

• Plum-bobbing. Please. Leave that to the people who know what they're looking at.

• "Still some pizza left in that box." Just one of many such annoying expressions used on the course, usually to describe a putt that hasn't quite made it close enough to the hole for a tap-in. The cousin of "still a little chicken left on that bone."

• High white socks. Save those for gym class. Or cutting the grass.

• No limo service. When you ride players to their balls, drop 'em off and don't watch them hit before going to play yours. And especially don't drive to the ball of playersnot in your cart and watch them hit their shots. This isn't pre-school soccer.

• Remember your score. Don't turn around after you putt and start counting your shots by pointing to spots on the hole you just played.

• Cut the practice swings. Usually the bane of high-handicap players. I'd be dragging to the clubhouse, too, if I took two practice swings (sometimes three) before each shot. Do the math on that for a 100-shooter.

Since 1928, only one European-born player has won the U.S. Open. Who is it? Answer at end.

Sean Knapp doesn't need a new monicker to play well.

He has been doing that his entire amateur life, winning seven West Penn Amateur championships, three Pennsylvania Mid-Amateur titles, playing Tiger Woods during one of his many 12 appearances in the U.S. Amateur and also winning the Frank B. Fuhrer Invitational, a tournament mostly for club professionals, three times.

Now, though, at age 47, Knapp has another title he can pursue -- the West Penn Public Links Championship.

After years of being affiliated with two country clubs, Knapp now qualifies as a public-course player, a distinction he says, "I'm not trying to run away from." The reason?

He has left the Longue Vue Club in Verona, where he was a member for many years. And St. Jude Golf Club in Chicora has converted from a private club to a daily-fee facility after it was sold last year by Dick Fuhrer. That means Knapp can compete in events open to public-course players only, something he couldn't do in the past.

But, because St. Jude is a member of the West Penn Golf Association, Knapp is still able to compete in all the same amateur events he played in the past. Still, his new role as a public links player hasn't affected his game.

In the past three weeks, Knapp was medalist in the May 12 U.S. Open local qualifier at Quicksilver, shooting 3-under 69; teamed with Nathan Smith to win the WPGA Fred Brand Foursomes with a record 36-hole score (133) and victory margin (12 shots); and lost to Smith, 1-up, in the championship match of the Pennsylvania Amateur Match Play.

"I feel like I've been consistent over a number of years," Knapp said.

That's bad news for public-course players.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Wallace Dixon in his written ruling after recommending dismissal of a lawsuit brought against Duke University by ousted Duke golfer Andrew Guiliani, the son of former New York mayor Rudy Guiliani: "His analysis slices far from the fairway."

• Mitch Mercer, a Pine-Richland High School graduate and junior at Susquehanna University, has been named to the NCAA Division III Ping All-American team. Mercer won five consecutive tournaments this season.

• Irwin native Dan Obremski, a junior at Coastal Carolina, advanced to the next round of U.S. Open qualifying after shooting a 70 at the Spartanburg, S.C., local qualifier.

• The American Cancer Society 2009 Golf Pass, featuring free or discounted rounds at 107 participating courses in Pennsylvania, is available for $30. Call 1-888-ACS-5445.

• The Melvin B. Bassi Memorial Tournament, sponsored by the Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, is June 4 at Cedarbrook GC, Belle Vernon. Call 724-483-3507.

• The 29th annual Myron Cope Memorial Classic tournament, benefitting The Autism Society of Pittsburgh, is June 15 at Montour Heights CC. Call 412-856-7223.

• The 2nd annual Bill Mazeroski Celebrity tournament, which benefits the Buckeye School District scholarship fund, will be June 15-16 at Mystic Rock at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa. Call 304-276-5104 or 304-685-9809 or go to www.golf4maz.com.

Tony Jacklin of England won the 1970 U.S. Open at Hazeltine GC in Chaska, Minn.