2013 Masters

[matt_thatsme]

Actually, if you drop into your own divot, you get to re-drop. (Not the case if you drop into someone else's.)

Really? I read through 20-2(c) and didn't see that provision. Where did you find that rule?

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-20/

 

[UpNorth_Buckeye]

NERD FIGHT!

 

[Steve19]

YSU I'm right there with you. The guy was churning up the course when that ridiculous bad luck happened and 95% of old white golf purists jumped for joy...

I really don't see how racializing this really moves the conversation forward.

I am one of those people who thinks that he should have (a) known the rules, as he had this problem earlier this year and is a pro in any event, and (b) has gotten away with murder breaking the rules of golf during his career.

It's not the embarrassment of his whoring around that caused him to have this major drought. It provided competing tour professionals with an opportunity to force the PGA to stop Woods from strutting around the greens pumping up the crowd and throwing temper tantrums--both of which were intended to buy him strokes.

The tour does not need Tiger Woods. It did just fine without him. There are rules that dictate decorum and play in golf. If Woods wants to play, then he needs to adhere to those rules. He'll also have to a helluva a lot off the course, if he beats Nicklaus' majors total and wants to claim to be the greatest golfer ever. It's a very deep bunker from which he plays and Vonn hasn't gotten him out of it.

It's not about race. It's about the sport and the special treatment that Woods has received since he was a small child.

 

[Jake]

I kinda like Bob Costas calling out CBS (not Jim Nantz specifically) on Friday in regards to ignoring race and other issues at Augusta.

But if they would mention that, I'm going to assume that Augusta would sign with another network and/or try to get the commentator fired (i.e. like Gary McCord). So it's kinda a double-edged sword (I don't think Costas would mention it on NBC, BTW).

Costas didn't mention Human Rights in China during the 2008 Olympics.

Costas is full of shit, and himself. I don't know when he woke up and decided sports fans want to hear his views on politics and society. Most fans watch sports to get away from that shit for just a little awhile.

 

[Jake]

I'll call it right now, Tiger will finish 2 back, and we will here TV wonks go on endlessly for at least the rest of the year about how the penalty cost him another major.

If that happens you're right about how the media will go on and on and on about it, but I think he finishes further back.

He's never come from behind to win a major on the last day.

 

[Jake]

YSU I'm right there with you. The guy was churning up the course when that ridiculous bad luck happened and 95% of old white golf purists jumped for joy.

Well done. You managed to find racism in a situation that has shown no sign of it. Tiger was treated in accordance with the current rules of the game, no better and no worse.

Now, let's watch some golf!

Good idea.

 

[Jake]

i wonder if augusta national was hoping that tiger would do the right thing and not accept their offer (two strokes).

best thing for tiger is to shoot over par tomorrow. it would be selfish, arrogant, and just plain wrong of him to win.

I don't understand that point of view. The rules as they currently stand don't call for a DQ.

moreover, he doesn't deserve the media attention focused on a narrow defeat, thereby placing an asterisk next to the real winner's name.

I agree here. I hope he finishes 3+ off the pace so we don't have to hear incessantly about how the penalty cost Tiger #15.

 

[LitlBuck]

Angel Cabrera 133/1 and he is the only one at those odds with no vcash on him.

One last note on Tiger, I wonder if he had re-teed his ball if he still would have gotten a two-stroke penalty. I cannot believe that rule has been not been broken many many times especially in the amateur rankings.

 

[BB73]

I don't understand that point of view. The rules as they currently stand don't call for a DQ.

The rules as they currently stand allow for a DQ, with the discretion of the rules committee allowing for there not to be a DQ.

During the interview that the Rules Committee Chairperson gave to Jim Nantz at the start of the CBS coverage yesterday (12 minutes talking about Tiger's penalty before showing any actual live golf), the chairperson said that they reviewed the shot (after receiving the phone call) before Tiger's round was over and deemed no penalty, but after hearing what Tiger said during his post-round interview they decided that he probably should be penalized was interesting.

First, if they had decided that he should get a penalty before the round was finished (as they should have done), they could have informed Tiger of the 2-stroke penalty before he signed his scorecard, and then the right thing would have been done with much less controversy.

Tiger clearly dropped the ball several feet behind his original divot, which means that he should get the 2-stroke penalty under the rules of golf. They claim to enforce the rules consistently, but did the committee originally prefer to not penalize Tiger in order to keep him at the top of the leader board and increase TV ratings? Would somebody else who wasn't contending have been given that penalty if somebody called it in and the committee reviewed it?

I understand them not wanting to DQ Tiger since they had decided to not penalize him before he signed his scorecard. But what if they hadn't reviewed his play until after the scorecard was signed? Would they have then said the penalty should have been imposed, and his improper scorecard is thus grounds for a DQ? If that's the case, then Tiger avoided the DQ only because they made an improper judgment of the play before he signed his scorecard.

And for those criticizing the wording of the rule, the phrase's wording is "as near as possible". Tiger clearly didn't do that, and trying to say that a few feet behind the divot is "near" and the wording of the rule is vague is way off base.

 

[VBSJ]

Yes, they are the New York Post.

 

[Bucklion]

Yes, they are the New York Post.

I liked the "Tiger back on top" with a photo of he and Vonn too

 

[Bucklion]

YSU I'm right there with you. The guy was churning up the course when that ridiculous bad luck happened and 95% of old white golf purists jumped for joy. Then an opportunity to DQ him out of the even altogether was too much for them to let go - so there's an uproar when USGA says he did nothing wrong. Even saying he dropped it about 2 yards away, going "backward" from his possible divot was cheating to many people. Seriously. He or any other pro might be lucky enough to take the exact 2 yards off their shot maybe 2 in 10 times in that situation. He probably won't win this tournament now and no one else under this scrutiny could either. The Karma hit him when his ball ricocheted off the flag pole backwards into the water. If that doesnt happen he's leading this tournament and it's all over. He's the greatest frontrunner in sports history that has been examined and this year would be no different. The guy has spent his entire life trying to be the absolute best at something and people can't handle that when their own lives are mostly pathetic. It's pitiful the way our society does this stuff over and over again.

Today I'm rooting for three people. Tiger, Freddy and Brandt Snedeker. I bet on Tiger and Snedeker and Freddy has been my favorite golfer since the mid 80's. I like to see people just abuse the golf course and do amazing things. I loved watching Jack play and I hated Arnold Palmer with a passion - only because he was Jack's rival. I look back now and secretly loved that rivalry and it needed the back and fourth. Tiger really has no rival so there's basically just venom and vitriol towards him. I don't give a rats ass who he sleeps with or cheats on or how much money he makes. I like to see him destroy golf courses. Period.

Now, let's watch some golf!

So you don't like everyone else judging Tiger, but you are perfectly OK judging everyone else yourself. Interesting.

 

[Bestbuck36]

Well done. You managed to find racism in a situation that has shown no sign of it. Tiger was treated in accordance with the current rules of the game, no better and no worse.

Bullshit. Tiger has faced racism since the beginning. Augusta is also one of the most racist places still around. I don't want to say the ruling was racist just the outcrying is underlying in racism.

The example is if Joe Smith would have done that you wouldnt have let him get by with it. I don't believe that. Sure there is a monetary advantage to CBS and the Masters by having Tiger still in the tournament but according to the rule they decided on, he shouldnt be DQ'd unless he decides himself that he was doing it on purpose to gain an advantage, which maybe he was doing by dropping further back. The outcry is based on jealousy and racism. If the organization in charge makes the rulings then the players live with it. If something changes then roll with it. The continued whining is crap. It's not like he got no penalty at all, it was still 2 strokes and it was ruled only after the press conference to be a penalty at all. The public vilification is ridiculous.

 

[Bucklion]

Bull[Mark May]. Tiger has faced racism since the beginning. Augusta is also one of the most racist places still around. I don't want to say the ruling was racist just the outcrying is underlying in racism.

The example is if Joe Smith would have done that you wouldnt have let him get by with it. I don't believe that. Sure there is a monetary advantage to CBS and the Masters by having Tiger still in the tournament but according to the rule they decided on, he shouldnt be DQ'd unless he decides himself that he was doing it on purpose to gain an advantage, which maybe he was doing by dropping further back. The outcry is based on jealousy and racism. If the organization in charge makes the rulings then the players live with it. If something changes then roll with it. The continued whining is crap. It's not like he got no penalty at all, it was still 2 strokes and it was ruled only after the press conference to be a penalty at all. The public vilification is ridiculous.

The CBS announcers pretty much admitted it during the telecast. I believe Lundquist's exact words were "For those who believe TIger should be disqualified, I want you to take a look at the response he is getting on 15 and into 16". Everyone knows Tiger is the Tour's ratings mealticket.

 

[Bestbuck36]

So you don't like everyone else judging Tiger, but you are perfectly OK judging everyone else yourself. Interesting.

Nice strawman.

I'm only judging the outcry that is flying in the face of the ruling. I try not to judge people by who they are but what they do. I see stupid everyday, there's no escape from it but to cry and whine about something like Tiger dropping his ball further back is just petty.

I wasnt directing my comments at this board either, necessarily, but the overall public opinion and the original whiner calling into the Master's tournament from his couch. If the shoe fits though...