I agree with part of what you say, but I disagree with you about other parts. Yes, the rule does need to be changed. The rule should say the ball needs to be dropped within one club length. I agree 100%. But, Tiger didn't just drop the ball too far away from where he struck his original stroke. He actually made an error in where he thought the ball last crossed the hazard line. He has three options from where to play his next shot after the ball goes into the water. 1. He could have used the designated drop area, which he chose not to do. 2. He could have dropped the ball as close as possible to his previous shot, which he also was not trying to do. 3. He could have dropped the ball behind the point from where the ball last crossed the hazard line, making sure that a straight line is formed from where he drops the ball, where the ball last crossed the hazard, and the pin. This is actually what Tiger was trying to do. Where Tiger made his mistake is that he was thinking that the ball last crossed the hazard line as it flew through the air toward the pin. Or I should say he forgot that the ball bounced in a strange direction and entered the hazard in a completely different location than when it first flew over the hazard the first time. I disagree with you that players do what Tiger did on a regular basis and don't get busted. When players are taking a drop and plan to hit a shot from where they played their previous shot, they don't make the drop 4-6 feet away from where they hit their previous shot. Players know they have to drop very close to where they hit their original shot and they do exactly that. It's rare for a pro player to make a mistake when dropping after going into the water hazard. This is something they do on a regular basis and they know the rules. Tiger just wasn't thinking clearly after his ball bounced off the pin and he made a mistake. It would have been nice if his caddie had realized he was making an improper drop and stopped him. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the tournament ends up.
Some dude saying that "the tournament is ruined" because he feared Tiger would be DQ'd has nothing to do with Tiger's performance... It just shows that some people think golf is nothing without Tiger Woods...
The poster said HIS tournament was ruined, not that the whole tournament was ruined. I disagree with that too, but it was strictly about Tiger's chances of winning - not about the Masters as a whole.
I love the sport of golf, but in all reality, televised golf is nothing without Tiger Woods. He grew and changed the whole game. None of these guys would be making anywhere near the money they're making without him.
I also find Tiger haters funny... doubt they would be making a peep if this happened to their hero b****-t*** Phildo, or Rory. Accidental Racist?
Okay this is technically true, but if that didn't happen he would never have had to drop and wouldn't have lost the other two strokes. He got ****ed, plain and simple. I really couldn't care less if you disagree.
THANK YOU!!! Am I the only person that thinks that ball drop was within a few feet of the original divot? Maybe the TV replay is showing a poor angle, but it definitely doesn't seem like it was 2 yards away, despite what Tiger said... On another note, Woods back within striking range! It would be incredible if he could win his first ever major while trailing going into the final round, especially given the circumstances surrounding this one.
I can't tell for sure how far away it was from his original shot, it looks like three to four feet to me. But that doesn't matter anyway, Tiger admitted that he moved back a couple of steps, or something like that. But the rule is that you need to place the ball as close as possible to the previous spot, which tiger admits he did not do. Tiger wasn't even trying to keep the ball close to the previous spot, he was trying to move back and keep the spot at which the ball last entered the hazard between himself and the pin, which was a mistake on his part. He admitted that he made a mistake and was penalized properly. He wasn't disqualified because of a new rule that has been added to the rules of golf over the past couple of years. I don't have a problem with him not being disqualified at all. Tiger made a mistake, he was penalized properly and the tournament goes on. It should be an exciting final round.
I'd love to see Stricker win, but he would have to have an amazing final round, which is possible at Augusta. Hard to believe Stricker has never won a major, his game is perfect for major championship golf.
