It's hard to say how some of those crazy rulings will ever play out. But, it kind of reminds me of when Tiger hit his ball behind that big boulder several years back, and it (the boulder) was judged to be an obstruction that could be moved, just like a stick, small stone, etc. Then, several spectators proceed to get behind the boulder and push and heave it out of the way. A bit of a stretch, I'd say, but every move Tiger makes on the course is followed closely, scrutinized, and re-scrutinized. I guess to get a real idea of how rulings on the course are made we'd have to see all rulings made throughout tournaments with all players.
Well, dyams, we do. These decisions are made all the time, every day, in every tournament. This one happened to be at 18 with Tiger instead of on the 7 or wherever with Joe Schmoe Down The Money List, but really, no sport is more codified, more regulated, more cut-and-dried on an moment-by-moment, level, than golf. This isn't like Tim Duncan getting a call where Michael Olowokandi wouldn't. The people who decide on these things in golf are the most picayune, nitpicky, deliberate bunch of rule-book fundamentalists you'll ever meet. For the officials to have given Tiger Woods any special treatment at all would have been out of the question.
I'm amazed by the rule, not the ruling. Like most of the players, I can't believe that shot wasn't out of bounds. Before the tournament started, the officials actually decided that it would be a good idea that one of these golfers should play a shot from the clubhouse sidewalk, or the course across the street, or (it sounds like) from the CENTERLINE of the friggin' street, for that matter. Now there's a challenging shot for you. Hit that baby off the double yellow, son! Still, crazy as it may sound, it's pretty clear that that's the way the rule was set out before the event even began, so to claim that the ruling was some sort of favoritism to Tiger implies that the planners knew ahead of time that he'd miss this shot onto the roof and that it would end up in a position relative to the stands that would require him to be allowed the drop...oh, and there was a second shooter on the grassy knoll...and 9/11 was an inside job...and aliens have infiltrated our societies at the highest levels...Sheesh!
oh, and there was a second shooter on the grassy knoll... Naw, that was Mickelson playing his second at the 72nd hole at Winged Foot...
It may be impossible for the TV audience to make a determination about whether Tiger got his ball back, I did not see him actually do the identification of his ball necessary under the rule, but there is no question that he got a lot more than 5 minutes to look for it and that is not provided by the rules. I would like to see if Tiger could actually hit the "temporary" obstruction he got relief from which he had a clear 90 yd. shot to the green. From the location that the ball was found, I do not think he could actually hit that "temporary" obstruction as he was blocked by the "permanent" one in the form of the Clubhouse. Did he get a break, yes he did, he got at least two, and if he wins it is a travesty! That rules official should be fired too, he blew it bad!
Cough cough BS cough cough
Yeah, but awslaid, he got a break that would have been given to any other player in that tournament. Or do you think the parking lot is out of bounds for everyone except Tiger? It looks stupid from here, but the whole sport is predicated on the idea that it's consistently stupid. The rules about how bleachers and different kinds of buildings are to be treated are codified to the letter, and you can bet that while this is the first time Tiger's ever had to deal with something like this, many others have had this problem before him, and certainly the official who made the decision has been through this scenario many times with many golfers who've hit more balls into the parking lot than Tiger ever will. They know the drill.
One more thing: They actually did find the ball inside of five minutes. (Just barely, but they worked out what happened & tracked the guy down almost immediately.) The rest of the time was for making absolutely sure the rule was interpreted properly. And now that the "travesty" has actually happened, I see such a hue & cry from the other golfers and commentators. What a groundswell of protest. Did you see it? What do you mean, "no?"
If he ever figgers out them par 3's, he has a chance of keepin' his card.
Whether Tiger sucks on par 3's or whatever, he just won the Bridgestone Invitational.
