So we FINALLY get a faceoff involving the best player in the universe. Woods goes ape-sh** on the first few holes, Paddy hangs tough ... Woods makes a couple mistakes and Paddy capitalizes ... things are getting tense and we're running out of holes. Will Tiger come back? Will Paddy legitimize the two Tiger-free majors? Great stories!

So what does the Tour do? PUTS THEM ON THE CLOCK! Who the FU** cares about the damn clock in a limited field event with Tiger Freaking Woods against last year's POY and 2-time major winner.

What's the result? Paddy pushes a drive way right and Tiger pulls his way left. Both rush second shots one of which is OK (Tiger to the fairway) and the other is obviously poorly planned (Paddy). Tiger (being the best in the universe) pulls his crap together and hits the best golf shot of the year. Paddy either because of Tiger's spectacular shot or the clock now ticking in his head, hits a mediocre shot to a nightmare position. From there he rushes another shot that ends up swimming ... ballgame.

I don't know if it would have ended differently. Tiger still probably goes to 12 under. But the point is we will never know. That was the most compelling final round since last year's US Open and it feels like the Tour (and correct me if they didn't make the call) screwed me out of a phenomenal finish.

Venting over. Off soapbox.

I hate slow play, so I like the rule. And those guys still had plenty of time to play their shots. I'd hardly call them rushed.

Paddy hit a ****ty second shot, and I just don't buy that time had anything to do with hit.

[This message has been edited by Bob the Enzyte Guy (edited 8/10/2009 10:13a).]

Slow play really ticks me off and they should enforce it at all times. Why? Because it is an unfair advantage to someone if they don't. Paddy ended up tied for 2nd at -8, if they did not enforce it he would have been given extra time and would not have been fair to Allenby, Mahan, Cabera or others.

I'm just curious but what does "being on the clock" really mean?

I understand they think there were playing slow but what's the penalty here?

They can get fined $5,000 and incur a one stroke penalty.

interesting. so if they are on the clock how much time do they have to complete the hole?

I'm not a fan of slow either. The rule should be enforced at all times, imo.

I wish Paddy hadn't of hit that shot into the water on 16. It was great drama and one of the best finishing round duels of the year up until that point.

*********************************************************************************************************************
"Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women."

Don't get me wrong - I'm no fan of slow play either (I curse Jack Nicklaus every time I get behind the foursome that goes through elaborate pre-shot routines). With that said, there is a time and a place for that particular rule. They were not holding anyone up (advantage to being in the final pairing), they had both been scrambling for a few holes which always takes more time and they had much more at stake. I can kindof accept the "unfair to the other -8 guys", but those guys didn't have to play in the "Tiger group" either. When the gallery is 10x everyone elses, it takes longer to quiet down and move around.

Even the announcers commented on how Paddy didn't have time to get accurate distance on that 2nd shot.

If they're REALLY concerned about time, let those guys carry lasers and gps devices. I know not having to search around for a sprinkler head and then walk off distances has helped me play faster.

Paddy is a notoriously slow player, which is a big reason why they found themselves on the clock to begin with. There's a lot that can be done to keep yourself from ever even getting on the clock, and it's not unreasonable at all.

The only reason they aren't holding anyone up is that no one is behind them. To me, that's the very definition of an unfair advantage if you don't still hold them accountable to the pace of play rules that everyone else is abiding by. Sorry, but being in the final group doesn't mean we just throw out part of the rulebook for you. They still have an advantage in knowing what they need to shoot.

I like Harrington, but at the same time, I'm glad to see a slow player get bitten in the ass. Whether he admits it or not, I have a feeling this will put a little more urgency in his pace and may provide a kick in the ass to other notoriously slow players as well.

[This message has been edited by Bob the Enzyte Guy (edited 8/10/2009 2:00p).]

Bob - you may be right about the kick in the pants for slow players (we can only hope so).

With that said, as a fan, I just feel a bit let down by how that ended. Now, we don't know how long it would have taken if left untended, but even with the chaos on 16 (that walking back and forth around the lake probably took about a half hour), the round lasted about 4:15 (1400 to 1800 est). Hell, on a Saturday in January here in Florida, you can't get around any course in under 4:30 - public courses run around 5 hours. So I don't know if they were really going THAT slow.

And I'm for giving all advantages to the last group. They worked hard for 3 days, and there is a bunch of more pressure to being in the lead over Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Again, if your the PGA Tour and really want to work on speed of play, than figure that out ahead of time. Allowing distance tools would go a long way.

The rule is that they have 40 seconds to hit their shot, another 20 if they're the first to hit. The PGA hasn't penalized anyone since 1982 under this rule, and it's not enforced unless a pairing gets WELL behind the group in front. They were behind the whole match, but they weren't put on the clock until they were a full hole behind everyone else.

While I hate that he lost because he was rushed here are the 2 biggest points:

1. Everyone else had to play by the same rules.
2. The players make the rules! How can they betch about a rule that they made?

quote:

---

Allowing distance tools would go a long way.

---

I'm all for them allowing GPS, but I don't think it would save as much time as you think. The yardage books are so thorough, particularly after the caddies have analyzed every corner of the course during the week, that they practically are a GPS. Pacing off distance isn't where the time is killed. When you watch them talk through a shot, the caddie usually has all of the distances available for them very quickly - about as quickly as reading a GPS device would take. The time is killed in judging the wind, debating what club and type of shot to play even when you already know the exact distance, analyzing the slopes/terrain, etc.

And whatever help a GPS did provide, I think a lot of these notoriously slow players would simply find themselves sucking up the extra time the technology saves them. Many of these guys are just hooked on overanalyzing every factor, and they are going to do that whether they have a GPS device or not.


[This message has been edited by Bob the Enzyte Guy (edited 8/10/2009 4:58p).]

I think the PGA Tour official who put them on the clock should be severely reprimanded for a lack of common sense. I thought it was ridiculous. They are a lot like USGA Officials in that sometimes they feel the need to justify their existence.

Well, monkeyaround, the guy that did it wasn't just some old man official. He was the head of European referees for the PGA or something.

The PGA has made their statement. They said what I said above: Everyone has to play by the rules, and the players are the ones that make the rules, so no one can *****. Then they slapped Tiger with a big fat fine.

I think saying that the officials did it to "justify their existence" is way off.

Cap, I can appreciate your arguement, and for the most part I agree with you. Just a thought though, before going on a rant, make sure your facts are right, otherwise it makes look as if you know nothing about the sport.

I'm refering to two statements: 1) Paddy is a 3 time major winner (07, 08 Open, 08 PGA) and 2) "limited field"? Not even close. It was as strong of a field as any major, considering that 49 of top 50 players in the world were there (#3 Paul Casey withdrew due to injury).

Again, I agree with you, just get your facts straight and you'll have more credibility.

I didn't say he was just some old man official. PGA Tour officials are not perfect. They blew it. Period.

quote:

---

2) "limited field"? Not even close. It was as strong of a field as any major, considering that 49 of top 50 players in the world were there (#3 Paul Casey withdrew due to injury).

Again, I agree with you, just get your facts straight and you'll have more credibility

---

Limited field means it was limited to only the best players in the world. He wasn't implying the field sucked. But congrats on catching that Paddy has 3 majors and not 2.

Cooter covered me on the limited field comment. Perhaps I should have said "invitational". As to

quote:

---

last year's POY and 2-time major winner

---

again, I should have been more clear - I meant he won two majors last year (British and PGA).

Maybe the key is to check your prose when you go on a rant.

Cooter & Cap - Point taken, I definitely read it differently, but I see what you were saying now.