I've got Georgia on my mind

Never really understand why golf is the only sport where the players are supposed to both score and police themselves!
I am all for tradition but surely in this day and age, a official should always be involved in penalty drops and other rule queries!
After all the game at this level is awash with money and incidents like this could be easily avoided!
 
I don't agree with that Paul, have a look at the coverage and see if you can spot any sponsor advertisements. The masters is different to other us tournaments in that respect. I reckon he made a poor judgement on a drop rule. Penalty for breach of that rule is 2 strokes. There is a rules official walking with each group so there's no way he should've making poor calls like that. 2 shot penalty was fair but giving the 14 year old a 1 shot penalty for slow play was harsh. Also why do they insist on piping the fake bird song onto the coverage it drives me mad.
 
Rule 26-1
If a ball is found in a water hazard or if it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in the water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), the player may under penalty of one stroke:
a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 27-1:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

So that's the two rules in question, no special treatment and nothing made up to keep him in.
 
I thought the issue was more that he had signed off his score card, and it was subsequently found it was incorrect.
If the penalties had been added during the round then there wouldn't have been a problem. I don't really know what the Rules steward was doing at the time of the incident, surely they should have been keeping track of things.
 
I'm guessing because he wasn't aware of an issue then the scorecard was correct? it's a strange situation indeed and yes what was the rules guy doing at the time.
 
The issue also arises that he knew exactly what he was doing. He clearly stated it in the interview prior to him being told of the problem. He didn't like the look of drop zone area and knew that he had played a perfect shot from the previous lie albeit 3 yards too long. He then clearly stated he went back 2 yards behind his previous shot and took another couple of yds off the shot and bingo a perfect shot into the green.
That would be classed as a professional foul in football. Manipulation of the rules. I remember seeing a player get disqualified from the Volvo PGA @ Wentworth once, many years ago. for failing to sign his card during all the excitement.
Almost all of the commentary team agree he should have gone and were amazed they allowed him to stay in. Stating it was more than likely due to who he was and that many have waited years to get a pass to see him play.
Also funny seeing him say rules are rules when asked what he thought of the 1 shot penalty for slow play on the Thursday.
In my opinion he should have been a bigger man and withdrawn himself on Saturday morning.
 
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