News
Tiger Woods avoids penalty at Hero World Challenge
5-under through 17 holes in his second round at the Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods was sailing along nicely until his drive at Albany’s 18th, well, sailed right and wound up beneath a bush in the native area.
After considering his options, Woods, from his knees, attempted a quick swat at the ball with an iron. The good news: Woods extricated himself from the trouble. The bad news: Woods’ rules trouble was only beginning.
First, have a look at the shot here, via PGATour.com on Twitter.
"Did he hit the ball twice?"
It's been determined there's no penalty for Tiger Woods on the 18th hole. pic.twitter.com/xMCUAnBkcB
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 30, 2018
As you can see, and as the coverage team suggests, the ball appeared to stay on the club face for an extended period of time. If Woods “pushed, scraped or spooned the ball” he violated Rule 14-1 (a two-stroke penalty).
Secondarily, some questioned whether Woods struck the ball twice in the course of freeing it from the native area, a violation of Rule 14-4 (which is still in effect until the 2019 revision goes into effect).
When Woods entered the scorer’s tent, he was asked to review footage of the incident in conjunction with Tour Officials.
(via PGA Tour on Twitter)
Ultimately, as PGA Tour Rules Official Mark Russell told Golf Channel, Woods wasn’t assessed a penalty, it seems, because all parties believed he intended to make a legal strike. Further, as a double-hit couldn’t be determined by the naked eye, and per the 2017 rule limited the power of later video evidence, Woods was cleared of a breach of Rule 14-4.
Russell cited Decision 18/4 , which states “a player’s determination that the ball has not moved will be deemed to be conclusive, even if that determination is later shown to be incorrect through the use of sophisticated technology.”
He added the following later, via Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard on Twitter
Tour rules official Mark Russell on Tiger Woods’ ruling on the 18th hole at the Hero World Challenge. pic.twitter.com/4eBW1wSpis
— Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) November 30, 2018
For his part, Woods has this to say to Golf Channel’s Steve Sands
“First of all, I didn’t feel like I violated any rules. I felt like I was trying to play a shot. But the rules committee pulled me aside and said ‘Hey, there may be a violation there’ so we took a look at it. I didn’t feel like I hit it twice, it happened so fast and it was such a short motion, but under high def and super slow-mo, you can see it. I made contact twice, but there was no, they’ll explain it to you. There is no violation, I guess, so I shot what I shot today.”
What he shot — after an 18th hole double bogey — was a 3-under 69. Through two rounds, he sits at 2 under, eight strokes behind leader Jon Rahm and tied for 15th in the field of 18.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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Darryl
Dec 5, 2018 at 6:38 am
What I love is that the raking story has had zero coverage on the home page here. If Eldrick had hit a 290 yard baby fade out of a pot bunker to a tight cut pin with a 6 iron, all top 5 stories would be about it, three days later, even if he still only finished 17 of 18. But since the actual story doesn’t depict him as Jeebus on a flaming bun, all is quiet.
Tom
Dec 4, 2018 at 3:15 pm
He has impeccable character and honesty, just ask Elin or Lindsey. lol!
Kelly Gallagher
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:42 pm
All players can feel the difference between pushing the ball away and hitting it. I wish just once he would admit to doing something wrong. But I’m sure that will never happen. He showed with all his lying and cheating he has no morals. Yes he is one great golfer. But that is where it ends.
Bob Jones
Dec 3, 2018 at 8:34 pm
They said he wasn’t assessed a penalty because he was intending to make a legal strike.
I was intending to hit my ball in bounds, so I shouldn’t have to take a penalty because I missed.
Bob Jones
Dec 3, 2018 at 8:33 pm
They said he wasn’t assessed a penalty because he was intending to make a legal strike.
Well, I was intending to hit my ball in bounds, so I shouldn’t have to take a penalty because I missed.
Dave r
Dec 3, 2018 at 12:37 pm
Who cares he finished 17th out of 18 players. And yes he hit it twice and then proceeded to rake it out, the call was up to him to make and as usual he did not , can’t recall him ever calling himself on anything it must be great to be so perfect.
Tartan Golf Travel
Dec 3, 2018 at 3:45 pm
Correct. In 20 years on tour he had never called a penalty on himself. In fact he has argued vehemently when visual proof has been shown to him.
Kelly Gallagher
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:32 pm
Yes he did push it out. One of many things he has been caught at. He just won’t admit it. Liar,Liar.
Ron
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:41 am
All these comments on here about Woods cheating….The determination was made by the officials, not Tiger.
Jack Nash
Dec 3, 2018 at 12:01 pm
It was Tigers Tourney, I’m sure they’ll penalize him. Kinda like years ago at the Masters where he “wasn’t” penalized for an obvious infraction on 15 with the “yellow” staked area.
CJ
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:15 am
I believe he got away with a clear penalty. Not on purpose but its still a penalty regardless
Tartan Golf Travel
Dec 3, 2018 at 8:19 am
It’s obvious he cheated and it’s certainly Not his first time. Sad to see especially in a hit and giggle.
Tony
Dec 3, 2018 at 1:13 am
In my opinion (and as an experienced trial lawyer and long-term golfer I think I bring to bear objectivity and experience) it was a two-stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 14.1.a, which provides that “The ball must be fairly struck at with the head of the club and must not be pushed, scraped or spooned.” The fact that it was also a double hit (as determined on slow motion television) compounds the offence.
Any experienced golfer who has been in that position will know when the ball has been scraped or spooned. I can recall several occasions when I have been against a tree with limited backswing and I have genuinely attempted to strike the ball but it has stayed on the clubface resulting in a scrape or spoon. I have always felt it and penalised myself.
Ruling 14.1.a/4 provides, inter-alia, as follows: “It is possible to strike a ball fairly with a half inch backswing. However, in most such cases the player would be pushing the ball, contrary to Rule 14-1a. In the absence of strong evidence to the contrary, it should be ruled that the player has pushed the ball. In order to strike the ball fairly, it must be swung at with the clubhead. If the ball is moved by any other method, it has been pushed, scraped or spooned. If a ball is fairly struck at, there is only momentary contact between the clubhead and the ball or whatever intervenes between the clubhead and the ball.”
I note part of Mark Russell’s explanation that you could see the “club [sic-ball] stay on the clubface quite a bit of time”. Why, then, did they not have reference to Ruling 14.1.a/4 — the contact was not momentary and the ball was pushed, scraped or spooned.
Admittedly the backswing was more than half an inch – but it was only a few inches, and the ball was in sand. The fact that Tiger genuinely attempted to strike the ball is irrelevant. If the motion was a push, scrape or scoop there is a two shot penalty. A compelling piece of evidence against the “first strike” finding by the PGA officials is the fact that, in the motion, Tiger turns his wrist to hood the toe of the club to scrape it in the right direction. Also, I don’t believe a fair strike with such a limited backswing, with the ball in sand, would ever have resulted in the ball travelling as far as it did.
Finally, all of those who say get over it because the rule changes next year are missing the point that rule 14.1 does not change and has nothing to do with double hits. It is Rule 14.4 which will change from January.
b
Dec 2, 2018 at 3:36 pm
Woods purposely RAKED the ball with the clubface!!!
It was raking just like you would use to rake leaves or rake anything by keeping the object you are trying to move on the clubface or head of the stick.
If Woods at made a strike (in lieu of a raking motion) the ball would have compressed and bounced (sprung) off the clubface instead of remaining on the clubface as it was raked.
It was definitely a PENALTY that Woods got away with. BIG TIME BAD RULING!!!
geohogan
Dec 3, 2018 at 10:10 am
Ball clubface contact is 5, 10, 000 th of a second
Clearly , in real time, without stop action camera, Tiger raked the ball.
If Woods “pushed, scraped or spooned the ball” he violated Rule 14-1 (a two-stroke penalty).
Bert Gwaltney
Dec 2, 2018 at 10:42 am
1″ back swung usually doesn’t produce a 3′ follow-through, yes he was trying to get the ball out and into the grass, past the sand area. Certainly looks like a swoop and not a normal hit, but he said he make a stroke at the ball, and didn’t believe he hit it twice. OK, but maybe when he viewed the shot on camera, he might have thought of calling the penalty on himself. “I saw the ball move” seems to remember a great amateur making that comment.
in 2019, golfers will Intentionally strike the ball twice, perhaps with the putter and claim, it wasn’t intentional. This is why a rule for double-strike was put into the Rules of Golf in the first place. A putt that might come up a little short on slow greens could be made with a long follow-through.
Tom
Dec 1, 2018 at 11:33 pm
Cheetah
Johnny Penso
Dec 1, 2018 at 9:34 pm
You’re in 15th place out of 18. One would think that legacy would triumph personal reward at an event that is almost entirely meaningless within Tigers’ career.
RulesCop
Dec 1, 2018 at 8:04 pm
There are golf pros and there are true, iconic, consummate sports heros. I can’t imagine Arnie, Jack or Jones not owning up to a rules breach, but not Eldrick. That’s yet another reason why Eldrick will never be in their league no matter which and how many wins. You have to have the whole package to qualify……performance and integrity.
TWE
Dec 3, 2018 at 12:05 pm
Ummmm…..please don’t make statements when you don’t know the facts…..Palmer won his first Master after he insisted on playing two balls because he did not get the ruling he desired on an embedded ball rule. I love Arnie, but please don’t spew garbage.
Peter McGill
Dec 4, 2018 at 5:38 am
You’re allowed to play a second ball in those circumstances. Apples and oranges.
Kelly Gallagher
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:38 pm
Rules Cop you are so bang on. He has no class and that has shone through for years. The greats would have put their hand up and said yes I did that. And taken their penalty. Not him. I don’t care how many wins or majors he has. Just cause you can golf does not make you a stand up person.
Nack Jicklaus
Dec 1, 2018 at 4:59 pm
I rake my balls too.
Rich Douglas
Dec 1, 2018 at 1:54 pm
SCRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPE!
This isn’t even close, and it doesn’t require high-def replay to discern it. (Lame excuse, Tour officials!)
How is that any different than swiping away someone’s gimme putt? He used the exact same method you’d use to pull the ball out of there so you could drop it.
Another example of Tiger being Tiger and the Tour being his best friend.
Speedy
Dec 1, 2018 at 4:20 pm
I agree, Rich.
RulesCop
Dec 1, 2018 at 1:50 pm
Double hits aside, it was obvious, even a normal speed, that he raked it out. That is a penalty in any year. Shame on Tour officials and so much for Woods ‘integrity’ setting an example for the 1st tee kidz.
David
Dec 1, 2018 at 12:57 pm
ANOTHER example of Woods CHEATING again…
There’s no way in this world anyone can make a pulling motion to the ball with no back swing without double touching/ball sticking on the club face .. and Woods KNOWS that.
He also KNEW immediately he’d double touched. Anyone else would have called it on himself but not Woods… it shows his total lack of honesty.
Anyone that’s ever played golf know exactly when they’ve double hit … anyone reading this and feels differently has never played golf.
And that they let him off without penalty is utterly RIDICULOUS … anyone other than Woods would DEFINITELY have received a penalty.
S&TisKing
Dec 1, 2018 at 11:32 am
That wasn’t a swing, that was a swipe!!!
Andrew Wainer
Dec 1, 2018 at 6:00 am
He “scoop/spooned” it
DONNIE GRAY
Dec 1, 2018 at 12:06 am
PGA STOOPED TO A NEW LEVEL,DRIVING WITH 4 DIFFERENT PRESCRIPTION IN SYSTEM, ONLY 2 HE HAD PRESCRIPTIONS FOR[NO REPERCUSSIONS FROM TOUR],REMEMBER WHEN THEY SUPENDED DALY FOR THE HOOTERS INCIDENT HE ADMITTED HE HIT IT TWICE AND THE NEW RULES ARE NOT INFECT TILL JANUARY IN HIS CAREER HOW MANY FAVORABLE CALLS HAS HE RECEIVED IN HIS CAREER
Lovejoy
Nov 30, 2018 at 9:52 pm
A player admits to a double hit having seen the evidence and does not call a penalty on himself?
CHEAT
Scheiss
Dec 1, 2018 at 11:16 am
Exactly. Signed for wrong score, therefore DQ
He Who Remembers
Nov 30, 2018 at 9:05 pm
Yeah, this kind of stuff reminds me of the EXTRA favorable drop Woods received at the Players Championship……got away with that one too. It took a call from a distinguished senior tour player to make the officials rule Tiger made an illegal drop at The Masters. Cmon, how many time does the tour have to roll over for this guy.
BF
Nov 30, 2018 at 5:42 pm
If they were playing under the new 2019 rules, which I know they aren’t, isn’t there no penalty for hitting it twice if it’s unintentional?
Bubbert
Dec 1, 2018 at 8:33 am
In the new 2019 rules, there is no penalty for unintentionally hitting the ball twice.
Rich Douglas
Dec 1, 2018 at 1:56 pm
This wasn’t a case of “hitting it twice” with one swing. This was a scrape. He yanked the ball out of there, not using a clean hit. That is a penalty now, and it will be a penalty in 2019.
dat
Nov 30, 2018 at 5:37 pm
Certainly didn’t look like a double hit or a scoop to me in real time. Slo-mo is deceptive and irrelevant here. Officials made the right call.
Brian McGrnahan
Nov 30, 2018 at 4:42 pm
Its obvious the ball was compressed on the clubface.
Tom
Nov 30, 2018 at 4:38 pm
Ray Lewis told him to say “I didn’t see nuttin!”