Tiger got a favorable ruling

[cypressperch]

on the last hole he played in my opinion. Had that been a high school tournament, after five minutes the ball would have been ruled a lost ball. After five minutes it does not matter if the ball is found or not, it is still lost. I understand how they came to the ruling they came to, but all of that was well past five minutes.

I guess that they were not going to let the grandstand interfere with Tiger's shot which it would have had he gotten a drop from near the club house (on the roof of which the ball was last seen). That is the biggest break that Tiger got, that the clubhouse roof was not out-of-bounds.

Those pros are really great players, but those of us who play what some might call "goat ranches" without the benefit of marshalls all over the place making very precise ruling, we can only wonder how well they would score on our turf.

Poor Davis Love, III. Starts playing well just a little bit late.

Sincerely, Cypressperch

[halifax_golfer]

I was gona say something similar (wouldn't have been as good as cypress' post though).

But yea, If we hit a ball on the roof, it would just be a lost ball and everyone would laugh for a bit cause you hit the club house.

I bet the pros would shoot a stroke or two higher if they didn't always have marshalls and gallerys to find there 300+ yard drives in 3" of rough.
I can't count how many times Ive nailed the ball out there probobly in the rough, but definitly in play on the hole and not a bad shot... And just not been able to find my ball. Man it sucks when that happens (doesn't happen lately but I havn't used my driver in a month or so due to the fact that I suck).

On top of that, there courses are SOOOOOOO well manicured, it's probobly pretty hard to even loose a ball on them, even the leafs probobly get picked up off the forest floors. I just think they would definitly be loosing balls in the rough and even approach shots that just flew the green if they didn't have gallery's and marshalls.

I dont want to take away from any of there skill. Dont get me wrong, the pros are absolutly amazing. But I definitly agree with you Cypress on this one.

Chris.

[JEFF4i]

I admire Tiger completely, but objectively, you hit the nail on the head Cypress.

I've cost myself to the 5 minute rule, and used it on others.

[Pa Jayhawk]

This is not the first time that I remember this happening. When I play my course, I am still waiting for 9 people to come along and help me move a "loose impediment" that I can't move on my own.

No question of his talent, but sometimes it does seem like pro's lose site of the game when trying to interpret the rules in their benefit. I don't think they ever found his ball, if you have to rely on technology, or gallery, or officials to assist in your misfortune and still do not find the ball, or can't move a boulder on your own, then maybe it is time to suck it up and realize you shouldn't put yourself in that kind of position and take the penalty.

edit 1 - I saw this happen with Mickelson a few years ago as well, they found a ball because the blimp camera pinpointed where it was. His caddie did not mark the ball, he indicated that he had no idea if it was his, the official gave him the benefit of the doubt and allowed him to play it as his own.

[Eracer]

This is a bit of a sore spot. We have to play:

1. Poorly raked bunkers with crusty, muddy, or rocky sand.

2. Shots hit offline that we have to play as potentially lost because we don't have marshals and crowds to keep track of our ball. And no matter how hard we try, we can't get our playing partners to help.

3. Fairways with poorly maintained areas that are not properly marked "Ground Under Repair".

4. Hazards that are not clearly marked.

5. Greens that are pathetic examples of the superintendent's apathy.

6. A general lack of etiquette by other players, i.e. unrepaired divots, ballmarks, etc.

And all the time we're trying to "do the right thing" we have "Player's Assistants" urging our foursome to "keep up with the group ahead"; never mind that they are a twosome of scratch golfers.

I'm ranting. Again.

[warbirdlover]

Did Tiger's choice of shots remind you of Phil's choice of shots in the US Open? Pretty similar thinking I'd say.

[dave.]

He pitched that 9 iron 212 yards,I find that more incredible than the ruling.The ruling itself was made more bizarre by the fact that they didn't know where the ball came to rest and they decided the ball had been found by an outside agency,and this was 'a rumour'

Tiger got a ruling based on a rumour.Marvellous

[mont86]

Originally Posted by dave.

He pitched that 9 iron 212 yards,I find that more incredible than the ruling.The ruling itself was made more bizarre by the fact that they didn't know where the ball came to rest and they decided the ball had been found by an outside agency,and this was 'a rumour'

Tiger got a ruling based on a rumour.Marvellous

What was the deal with the 212 yds? Is that the actually distance the ball went before being picked up? And how did they know who picked it up?
There is a old saying, "I'd rather be lucky then good" Tiger is both!!!!

[EDSGolf]

Take the break and run.........I'm pretty sure if it was Joe Blow it would have been declared lost.

[Texan]

My brother and I were just talking about that. I've been in tournaments (especially high school) where tons of wierd crap like that has happened. Such as one slicing a ball 100 yards into a man's yard. (Seriously)

[Texan]

My brother and I were just talking about that. I've been in tournaments (especially high school) where tons of wierd crap like that has happened. Such as one slicing a ball 100 yards into a man's yard. (Seriously) atomaticly it was out of bounds even though it wasn't marked, because it was a lost ball anyway. They just don't want to make Tiger mad.



P.S. Sorry about double posting... it was an accident

[Loop]

Not sure what's up with TW bashing, but...
From PGA
"Adding to Woods luck was that rules official Mike Shea said the ball was located -- or enough evidence to figure out what happened -- seconds before the five minutes allowed to search for a lost ball."

For the full story:
http://www.pga.com/news/tours/pga-to...tone082506.cfm

Lucky, yes.
Favoritism? I do not think so...

[cypressperch]

I do not see too much Tiger bashing in all of this. Tiger himself was surprised that he did not have to return and hit from where he had because the ball was either OB or lost. "Seconds before the five minutes were up" has to make one wonder because if that were the case, it should not have taken thirty minutes to make the ruling and get on with play.

All I was saying was that those of us who play it down and play it by the book seem to play a much harder game than we give ourselves credit for. And the world does not stop and focus in on our troubles on the course in the manner it seems to for Tiger, Arnie, and others in their prime. Five minutes is five minutes regardless of who is involved.

I do not think less of Tiger because he seems to get special attention. I do think though that he might have been ticked off had all this been going on in front of him. It would certainly be hard to conduct a tournament if every questionable situation took so long to resolve. I believe that is why the five minute rule is there in the book---to avoid such delay. Delay means slow play and slow play is the worst thing in golf.

I think Tiger knows that he was lucky. I do not think that he thinks he is entitled to such favorable treatment. If it was not favorable, then he was not lucky. Let's suppose that his ball had been ruled out of bounds. I doubt seriously if Tiger would have had a tantrum saying that the clubhouse should have been marked "out-of-bounds"! Had that occurred, I think you would then have seen some real Tiger bashing. Had this happened to someone ahead of Tiger and Tiger then complained about the delay involved, I doubt if anyone would have blamed Tiger for complaining. Just looks like the greatest golfer of all time got a questionable call made in his favor.

And this too shows how much golf is like life. If you are at the top of the social-economic heap, things go a certain way. As you go down the ladder, things go somewhat differently. There is honor and dishonor at every step of the ladder. In his position, Tiger might get special treatment just like the Queen of England gets special treatment. Regardless of such, those of us at the "goat ranches of the world" are still suppose to go by the book, and I take my hat off to all of those who do. You may not be famous, but there is honor in how you approach the game. That sort of makes you great, if not famous. Yes, some of the down-trodden may have more "class" than many who claim to have class. And I also take my hat off to Tiger remembering one occasion when he called a penalty on himself when he saw his ball move after it was addressed. He knows the rules and he knows the "intent" of the rules and he knows he was pretty lucky the other day. If he pulls this tournament out by one stroke or so, he will have been very lucky indeed. But again, you can be a great player, an honorable player, and still be lucky.

The other day, I hit my second shot into a perfectly round bunch of high grass that was in the fairway to the right of the green. It looked like a sprinkler head might have been down in there. I played it and barely got it out and made boggie. I also played a provisionable ball which I holed out with a Tiger-like shot for an eagle. At the club house the ruling was "hell no you don't get relief" because it was not marked in any way. The next time I played the hole, it was circled as were a few other places that the mowers could not get down to. Hey, its a hard game.

The best of luck to everyone with the rules of our fine game. Sincerely, Cypressperch

[cypressperch]

I do not see too much Tiger bashing in all of this. Tiger himself was surprised that he did not have to return and hit from where he had because the ball was either OB or lost. "Seconds before the five minutes were up" has to make one wonder because if that were the case, it should not have taken thirty minutes to make the ruling and get on with play.

All I was saying was that those of us who play it down and play it by the book seem to play a much harder game than we give ourselves credit for. And the world does not stop and focus in on our troubles on the course in the manner it seems to for Tiger, Arnie, and others in their prime. Five minutes is five minutes regardless of who is involved.

I do not think less of Tiger because he seems to get special attention. I do think though that he might have been ticked off had all this been going on in front of him. It would certainly be hard to conduct a tournament if every questionable situation took so long to resolve. I believe that is why the five minute rule is there in the book---to avoid such delay. Delay means slow play and slow play is the worst thing in golf.

I think Tiger knows that he was lucky. I do not think that he thinks he is entitled to such favorable treatment. If it was not favorable, then he was not lucky. Let's suppose that his ball had been ruled out of bounds. I doubt seriously if Tiger would have had a tantrum saying that the clubhouse should have been marked "out-of-bounds"! Had that occurred, I think you would then have seen some real Tiger bashing. Had this happened to someone ahead of Tiger and Tiger then complained about the delay involved, I doubt if anyone would have blamed Tiger for complaining. Just looks like the greatest golfer of all time got a questionable call made in his favor.

And this too shows how much golf is like life. If you are at the top of the social-economic heap, things go a certain way. As you go down the ladder, things go somewhat differently. There is honor and dishonor at every step of the ladder. In his position, Tiger might get special treatment just like the Queen of England gets special treatment. Regardless of such, those of us at the "goat ranches of the world" are still suppose to go by the book, and I take my hat off to all of those who do. You may not be famous, but there is honor in how you approach the game. That sort of makes you great, if not famous. Yes, some of the down-trodden may have more "class" than many who claim to have class. And I also take my hat off to Tiger remembering one occasion when he called a penalty on himself when he saw his ball move after it was addressed. He knows the rules and he knows the "intent" of the rules and he knows he was pretty lucky the other day. If he pulls this tournament out by one stroke or so, he will have been very lucky indeed. But again, you can be a great player, an honorable player, and still be lucky.

The other day, I hit my second shot into a perfectly round bunch of high grass that was in the fairway to the right of a bunker just to the right of the green. It looked like a sprinkler head might have been down in there. I played it and barely got it out and made boggie. I also played a provisionable ball which I holed out with a Tiger-like shot for an eagle. At the club house the ruling was "hell no you don't get relief" because it was not marked in any way. The next time I played the hole, it was circled as were a few other places that the mowers could not get down to. Hey, its a hard game.

The best of luck to everyone with the rules of our fine game. Sincerely, Cypressperch

[Loop]

Good reply CP.
Reminds me of Annika in the US open, when at the lost hole, she tried to reach the par five in two, got into the woods and behind a big billboard. Took a whole half hour too trying to figure out what to do.

Still, I can't help but wonder that other players might also get the same treatment, but we don't see it. TV broadcast that sort of incident because it's a top player. Which may lead us to think that it can be favoritism.