OT: Triple Yikes....Tiger to be DQ'ed?

[Blakeon18]

I just heard a radio report from Augusta that he may have taken an improper drop on 15 yesterday....they are reviewing the tape. And....the report said that Jim Furyk may be DQ'ed for the same reason.

If this happens....and Rick Reilly said he thought it would [regarding Tiger]...it will match the DeVicenzo 'I am a stupid' DQ 50 years ago.

 

[meyers7]

That'll kill the ratings for today and tomorrow.

Should probably change the rules at some point. Make it an x stroke penalty, instead of a DQ.

 

[Blakeon18]

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golftalkcentral/woods-drop-at-15-is-in-question/

Here is an article about it.

 

[WNBARookFan]

Looks like the USGA changed the rule a year ago, so he'll face a 2-shot penalty rather than a disqualification. CBS sighs in relief.

 

[Icebear]

Always ask for a consult.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Hitting the Flag Stick cost Tiger a minimum of 4 shots with the penalty.

Tiger's 3rd shot hit the flag stick, most likely he birdies the hole or even possibly an eagle. He would have been 6 under with a Birdie. Instead he bogeys the hole, which puts him 4 under. Also has a bogey on 18 so he ended the round at 3 under. Now the two shot penalty puts him at -1. He did have a bad drive on the hole which forced to him to layup on the par 5 instead of being able to go for the green in two. A good drive and who knows, maybe he still pars the hole.

IMHO for all intensive purpose his chance of winning the Masters has gone by the wayside.

 

[doggydaddy]

Hitting the Flag Stick cost Tiger a minimum of 4 shots with the penalty.

Tiger's 3rd shot hit the flag stick, most likely he birdies the hole or even possibly an eagle. He would have been 6 under with a Birdie. Instead he bogeys the hole, which puts him 4 under. Also has a bogey on 18 so he ended the round at 3 under. Now the two shot penalty puts him at -1. He did have a bad drive on the hole which forced to him to layup on the par 5 instead of being able to go for the green in two. A good drive and who knows, maybe he still pars the hole.

IMHO for all intensive purpose his chance of winning the Masters has gone by the wayside.

Intents and purpose. And while he is 5 off the lead, there are two rounds left.

 

[Blakeon18]

He signed for an incorrect [and lower] score....I thought that always meant
being DQ'ed.

 

[vtcwbuff]

IMO he's gone. TGC just did an in depth explanation of what he did including graphics. He took an improper drop and he admitted he did it to improve his shot. He signed an incorrect scorecard.

 

[pap49cba]

He signed for an incorrect [and lower] score....I thought that always meant
being DQ'ed.

From a report on ESPN....

Woods was not disqualified because of a relatively recent rule that allows the rules committee discretion when it comes to violations reported after the fact. Masters officials reviewed the drop on Saturday morning, applying the revision to "Decision 33-7/4.5", which, according to the USGA's website, addresses "the situation where a player is not aware he has breached a Rule because of facts that he did not know and could not reasonably have discovered prior to returning his score card.

"Under this revised decision and at the discretion of the Committee, the player still receives the penalty associated with the breach of the underlying Rule, but is not disqualified."

 

[Goodgood]

I remembered the same thing happened to Michelle Wie at a tournament when she finished 2nd. She made a improper drop and was DQ'ed. Did the rules change since?

 

[Blakeon18]

Apparently the discretion concerns 'facts he did not know'. What were those 'facts'?

This DQ/no DQ will be the lead story out of this Masters regardless of who wins.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Faldo, Chamliss on Golf Channel are saying Tiger's reputation will be gone if he doesn't DQ himself. They're adamant about it. Whatever Tiger does, it will be the talk of the tournament.

 

[Icebear]

He signed for an incorrect [and lower] score....I thought that always meant
being DQ'ed.

That's why I expected him to be DQ'd to blake. It isn't the strokes that kill you, they can be assessed but up to now it has been signing the inaccurate scorecard that eventually got you bounced. Is it possible he was told of the potential problem and held off signing his card.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Apparently the discretion concerns 'facts he did not know'. What were those 'facts'?

Ratings?

 

[Bobanozz]

I hope they don't "bend" the rules just for Tiger, and ratings.....

 

[ddminct]

The committee looked at the drop while Tiger was playing 18 and deemed it proper. Then Tiger in the interview says he went back 2 yards so they went and looked a it again and decided on the 2 stokes. I think that is a good decision and hopefully going forward its the way they go.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/13/sport/golf/masters-tiger-woods-rules-flap/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

[easttexastrash]

Faldo, Chamliss on Golf Channel are saying Tiger's reputation will be gone if he doesn't DQ himself. They're adamant about it. Whatever Tiger does, it will be the talk of the tournament.

We would hate for Tiger to have reputation problems.

 

[easttexastrash]

I've adopted the attitude of let it all go in sports. Do whatever it takes.

 

[blackbird]

Apparently the discretion concerns 'facts he did not know'. What were those 'facts'?

Ratings?

No, it's facts the committee didn't know.

They were aware of the possible rules violation, and told Tiger the scorecard was fine. Then after Tiger did an interview and was quoted as confusing the two options, they reviewed it again. The discretion was because the committee had advised him the card was fine and then decided it wasn't. (Therefore it wasn't Tiger's fault the card was signed incorrectly.)

I disagree with saying they are bending the rules for Tiger. Any other player, and this isn't even brought up because their words aren't scrutinized.

Golf is absolutely ridiculous with it's DQs. Imagine in basketball..you inbound the ball in the wrong spot, disqualified from the finals.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Golf is absolutely ridiculous with it's DQs. Imagine in basketball..you inbound the ball in the wrong spot, disqualified from the finals.

But golf is not basketball, is it? Whether you think the rules are "ridiculous" doesn't mean they shouldn't be followed. Imagine in basketball if you gave a recruit money and that recruit was disqualified? It's the rules.

That being said, my understanding is that there is little doubt that Tiger made an illegal drop. Did he?

 

[blackbird]

There's only little dispute because of Tiger's comments.

His drop was in the range of reasonable to "as close as possible" but it was when Tiger said "I put my ball down 2 yards away because of the duvet" that forced them to review it again. (As, they had originally reviewed it at the 18th and thought it was fine.)

 

[vtcwbuff]

The option he chose is governed by Rule 26-1 a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played

This is an often used rule. Woods and his caddy had to be aware of it. According to Nick Faldo, Woods said he deliberately dropped two yards back to from ther original lie in order to get a better wedge distance. IMO if Faldo's statement is true, that's cheating. In any case a divot is not an excuse for an improved lie.

My understanding is that the rule infringement was seen on TV and the committee opted to assess a penalty instead of a DQ because a recent local rule allows discretion when the infringement is reported by a TV viewer. I wonder how much discretion the committee would have used if the offending golfer was one of the rabbits?

Woods skates again a'la his "moveable obstruction"

 

[pap49cba]

My problem with situations like this is allowing casual tv viewers to call in and report something they believe is an infraction. I have been to the Masters several times and there are rules officials on every hole. And I have to believe there are other officials monitoring the broadcast. If those individuals as well as the player's playing partners didn't see anything, is it fair for some guy in East Oshkosh to just call in and make a report?

The other problem I have is that players like Woods, McIroy and Mickelson often are on camera for their entire round whereas the vast majority of the field never appear on camera.