Augusta: The Masters

[ChillDoubt]

....is underway. Weather forecasts suggests a serious storm or two in the next 48 hrs could disrupt matters.
Hopefully a European can bring some of that Ryder Cup spirit to the greens and fairways as Rose, Westwood, Poulter and Donald need to fulfil Major ambitions.
But most predict Tiger will be the man come Sunday, as do I.

Predictions?

[ChillDoubt]

Just announced on BBC, Tiger NOT disqualified.

He must have been cacking conkers!

[jim360]

Not DQ'ed, thank goodness, but a two-shot penalty. If he wins now I'd be amazed. Such horrible bad luck, though - from a possible eagle or birdie to an effective triple bogie = 5 shots hanging on a margin of a couple of inches.

[ttfn]

Wrong decision, imo. Woods admitted the illegal shot that he took. This was because he was unwilling to change his stroke, which he thought was perfect enough, just unlucky to have hit the pin. Totally unsporting.

[anneasquith]

good.

[cazzz1975]

There was a rule change in 2011 to deal with "trial by tv incidents" Instead of retrospective Disqualification he receives two stroke penalty for wrong drop, it was right in my opinion.

[FredPuli43]

Curious. Steve Stricker was interviewed about his own shot going into the water. He said that it was a poor shot but was made more difficult because of the sloping lie. Therefore, when he played it again, he went back "ten or twelve yards" to find a level lie. That action sounds as illegal as anything Woods did in similar circumstances but no action seems to have been taken.

[ttfn]

I disagree, cazzz. He signed his card knowing he had broken the rule.

2 yards is quite a distance in golf.

[ChillDoubt]

Conversely, this could spur Tiger on even more and he may rip the course up on moving day.
Whatever happens, it's gonna get very interesting!

[cazzz1975]

If he stated to them there may be an infringement he will be allowed to sign provisionally while they investigate, this is where Decision 33-7/4.5 will come into play.
http://www.usga.org/NewsSF.aspx?id=2147496867&;LangType=1033

[ttfn]

cazzz I don't understand how video would come into it if his words were heard by one of the officials at the time?

[cazzz1975]

In his interview he said he dropped 2yds behind and hit the ball with 2 yds less distance, under rule 27.1 that is a 2 shot penalty.

[ttfn]

I got that, yes. But, if an official heard him say that? I don't understand how he can not be seen to have signed a false score card. Woods knew he had not taken the shot from as near as possible to the first.

[cazzz1975]

The rule would deal with it as "unknowingly signing for the wrong score"

we dont have clarification about what happened when he signed his scorecard, that information is just heresay at the moment.

[ttfn]

ok I will await with interest.

[FredPuli43]

Judging from the BBC link, this is in the nature of a local rule (although for competitors in some US tournaments). Can't find any similar rule in the R & A Rules or decisions. Not seen it being applied in the Open. There the practice is that the player off the fairway uses the "two club length rule" and, on it, uses a dropping zone. If the ball is unplayable in the fairway, through no fault of the player, it is played from a position on the same line but not nearer the hole. It may be that that thinking is what explains Stricker's answer about replaying the shot from ten or twelve yards further back. He could never call that " as near as possible" !

[LazyGun]

Lots of controversy that the Authorities have interpreted the rules in such a way as not to disqualify Tiger....

[ttfn]

Quite!

[cazzz1975]

stricker could have dropped further back because his ball had not made it across the water to the green/fairway so different rules may apply, tigers had made it to the green and rolled back.

I have not seen the stricker shot so am submising.

[ttfn]

No need to submise, it didn't make the water ;)

[cazzz1975]

here is the statement:

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=30agqqg&s=6