Final answer:
Golfers carrying metal clubs are at greater risk of lightning strikes because metal conducts electricity and they can become the tallest point in an open area. Trees do not provide safety as they can also attract lightning and transfer the strike to nearby individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
A golfer with a metal club over her shoulder is vulnerable to lightning in an open fairway because metal can conduct electricity, and holding a metal object up increases the risk of attracting a lightning strike. Golfers are often the highest points in open fairways, and since lightning tends to strike the tallest object in the area, this puts them at significant risk. Moreover, standing under a tree is not safer because trees are also tall objects that can attract lightning, and the energy from a lightning strike can travel through the tree and into the ground, potentially harming someone nearby.
Understanding Lightning Strikes
The phenomenon of lightning stems from the buildup of electrical charges within clouds. A lightning strike occurs when a significant electrical discharge happens between clouds or between a cloud and the ground. For a golfer on an open field or under a tree, the risk of being struck by lightning is heightened due to the potential for being a conductive path for the electrical current.