There is a reference to a similar situation in this months edition of 'Today's Golfer'.

Stephen Ames, during the Players Championship (which he won).

On the 10th, he was in a bunker, and after his first attempt - failing to hit the ball out of the bunker - he used his club to smooth his footprints before addressing the ball a second time.

According to the match commitee as well as the staff at Today's Golfer this is not a breach of the regulations.

Even 'worse' - they actually claim that it is now legal to rest your club on the sand at address on the second attempt, since having already made one stroke in the sand, further contact with the sand does not qualify as 'testing'.

How's that for a helping hand in those situations where we hackers are using 5 or 6 strokes to get out of a pot-hole bunker?! We can actually get a proper address on the second attempt, clearly improving our chances of getting a good stroke in.

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//Mox
2008 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff. (about to be replaced by MP-600 10,5* UST Proforce V2 stiff)
Mizuno F-50 3w 15* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red 5w 18* Graphalloy Fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Heavy Putter B3-M
Titleist NXT Extreme