Round 1: Farmers Insurance Open
January 26 2012
7:43 pm
Mickelson: ‘I just don’t get it”
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
LA JOLLA, Calif. – In a word, Phil Mickelson said the round was "pathetic."
The 77 he shot on the South Course during Thursday’s first round was Mickelson’s second-highest ever and left him in a tie for 147th — and in very real danger of missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open for just the fifth time in 23 starts.
Mickelson’s highest score ever on the South is the 78 he shot in the third round of the 2005 event where he ended up in a tie for 56th. Otherwise, he’s virtually owned the highly-regarded municipal course – winning three times, finishing second twice, including last year, and posting a total of 10 top-10s.
Mickelson was particularly disappointed because he thought he’d seen signs of improvement at last week’s Humana challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation. He opened with a 74 but managed to break 70 each of the next three rounds, including a bogey-free 66 on Saturday.
"I went in and had a good weekend, good final few rounds at the Hope," Mickelson said. "I had some good days of practice and I was ready to play. I don’t know what happened. I just wasn’t able to focus.
"Obviously, I hade some bad swings just in the wrong spots and so forth. But I felt like my game was ready heading in, and I don’t know what to say about the score because it was pathetic."
Mickelson only hit 6 of 14 fairways and half of the greens in regulation — which left him tied for 151st in that category the 155-man field. While he had been enthused about the way he was putting when he met with the media on Wednesday, Lefty used 32 putts in the first round.
The shot-game wizard also saved par just two of the six times he found a greenside bunker.
Mickelson, who only made two birdies in Thursday’s first round against seven bogeys, heads to the easier North Course on Friday. He’ll need to shoot really low there, though, to play the weekend in his hometown event.
"There is an opportunity tomorrow to go really low over on the North if you play well," Mickelson said. "I birdied 17. I thought I had a birdie on 18 so I missed that little one there. That would have gotten me to a point where I thought if I could have shot 6- or 7-under par on the North I’d at least get here for the weekend and build some momentum.
"But it’s a little disappointing that the first round here and the first round last week have been so poor because I felt really ready and sharper than I have in a long time starting the year. So to shoot those numbers, I just don’t get it."
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2 words:
Past it
He keeps saying how good he’s been practicing, maybe he’s pressing too much. Maybe he just needs to let it come to him.
Bwa, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Phil is struggling mightily, but he will hopefully get it going in time for the Master’s. The way he finished in the FedEx last year, he is definitely not past it. He will prove the haters wrong, just needs to get some momentum going. C’mon Phil, fire a 65 on Friday and get it rolling into the weekend!
I cheer for Phil, but ever since the 2010 Masters win he’s played like a guy past his prime
In a normal tournament last week, I would have missed the cut. I will probably miss it also this week. But all is under control. I’m improving.
he has to improve ! its impossible to get worse.
Solid.
Let yourself relax and just go out there and have fun and the low scores will come on their own. You are a great golfer as well as a great family man and have a lot of talent for this game.A lot of people are behind you an always will be. I am happy that you are confident, but too much confidence can be bad. Thank you for never giving up and good luck on Friday. Hope to see you playing on the weekend.
The young guns have lots of motivation and less fear. But it is hard to keep the game going consistently year after year. Phil appears to be struggling with that issue. Maybe he needs to stop working so hard on it and back off and smell the roses. Then come back refreshed when he is ready.
Looks to me Phil is totally out of shape. Have you noticed the tire he is carrying above the belt. He is most likely so tired by the 1st hole there is nothing left..I wish him well, but his prime is over..
Phil don’t get it,the bookies have got my £100 that i foolishly invested him.I aint getting nout Phil lol
P.S Still love yer Phil,Tiger who?
DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY!! GOD BLESS!
Not Phil`s best for sure, maybe needs a majic wand in the bag tomorrow if he wants to play the weekend.
@ Frank: I know from your comment, you SUCK at golf!
Phil could beat you with just his putter, you beater.
Oh I`m sorry, it`s spelled magic.
I realize that spelling mistake puts me in the same class as Frank.
HaHaHa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PGA TOUR CHECK YOUR COMMENT SECTION!
I wonder if Phil’s medicine is part of the problem. He’s been under a lot of stress for some time now with his wife and mother in law having health issues. Phil himself has health issues and I hope that all of these things aren’t contributing to a somewhat “flat” couple of years. Pulling for you Phil. Just try to have fun and relax. You fans still love you and are pulling for you. Also, it seems that you’re stressing when putting now a days. I noticed this for the past few years. You “can” putt Phil. When the putter is on, your game seems to get on. That Phil smile needs to return. We miss that!! Again, pulling for you Phil!
Hmmmm where is Jeff? Phil is looking exactly how I said he would. He even said it himself he has lost his focus. TP south is a tough course if you are focused. Tomorrow looks like a 67-68 and a weekend off.
Binreys- please speak up I can’t understand you with that hood over your mouth you piece of crap!
why don’t you so called golf experts mouth off about other players the way you do with philip & eldrick? sorry to inform you but these guys are very much on the decline. get over it.
Helen, can you share a little perspective past his record. So he took second last year..and finished with a W three times.. what was his lowest score during those appearances? what was a competitors lowest score posted during those events? Heck, even if Phil shot last year’s low round 66, he’d still be 4 shots behind this year’s leaders.. His remark (pathetic) is an understatement. Only 6 fairways? Geez, I got 9 of ‘em last week and I’m no better than +15.
Phil’s biggest problem is trying to be too popular, he’s asking for pressure especially in a home town event with huge galleries following him and expecting great things. He should keep a lower profile, and hide under the “radar a bit”. He’s a fine player but he has many flaws also. Play simple golf Phil ffs, that’s what we “the fans” want to see a bit more…. come on, sort out your driving- it’s can’t be that hard, and also lose this this “tiger” thing,just because he wasn’t here this week doesn’t mean you can’t put on a show man.
Tiger starting birdey par bogey rory starting bogey par double bogey so they even now
Rory just let it slide a bit to encourage Tiger to start playing real golf! That’s real sportsmanship, I tell you!
It’s one round. .340 hitters strike out; Randy Johnson walked batters; Joe Montana threw interceptions; Michael Jordan his own self didn’t win ‘em all.
If the activity is a sport, there will be good days and bad. Huh. Like life.
Rushing to conclusions is short-sighted. Yup, the guy is older. Yup, he won’t win as often as he used to. But nope, it ain’t over for that fellow’s talent.
ANYBODY NOTICE RORY GETS A 2 SHOT PENALTY AND NOT ONE MENTION OF IT ANYWHERE, NOT EURO TOUR MAIN PAGE, NOT ON GOLFCHANNEL.COM, NOT EVEN ON TWITTER….WHO ARE THEY PROTECTING AND SHOWING FAVORITISM??? Loud and clear….just sayin’.
Just when I was getting upset…
Amazing, Tiger birdies #11, now at -4, whereas
Unamazing Rors bogey’s #11, now at -3. Cheers!
man Tiger looks so good right now should go 5 under
Love your monniker…Return…let’s hope for one now @ #12, and hopefully #18, to be ready for a roar!!! Us faithful diehards will be sleepwalking in 2 more days…lol
just sick group to watch world number 1 playing with 2 best players in the world funny to say this but its just a fact
We both know the real #1, wink, wink. Matching birdie for birdie….love it. Especially when SOMEONE, I hope discusses the error RM did. Probably say due to young age…really, did you know who do that, EVER?
It’s actually a pleasure to listen to the calm reporting over there, as opposed to the constant jabbering and comparisons the US media jabbers about during all the tournaments. Giving the early morning here, and the quietness of the coverage, it’s a nice pleasure.
Why must Steve Sands jabber on and on? He’s there to interview the guys after the exit the course, and before play, but won’t shut up. Repeats the same things he says during the day. Unbelievable.
it was a very supricing error from Rory i have no idea how he could not know that rule. Momentary collaps of thoughts probably and something Tiger would ofcourse never do. It is though kind of fun to watch how lose and good mindset Rory has, it didnt seems like effect him much that error, and he is only one over par today with 2 double bogeys and 3 bogeys rather impressive how he continues even after all the mess he is doing.
Yes, I agree. But, he was pink faced at the time. Horrible round for him, but he is acting composed and only one back from his start. Just too mouthy the last 2 yrs re: digs on TW.
On the other hand, Luke Donald is just a real gentleman whom I can respect, also.
DARN.
Hao , gail , gord. Get your noses out of tigers crack and look outside of the trailer, the world has moved on and golf has got stronger the last 3 years not weaker. You just can’t stand the fact that your messiah is not the man anymore, get over it
I doubt if Tiger will ever Win another Major Tournament. Not only is he getting older, but the NEW Young Golfers on the Tour are making it difficult for anyone to Win on any regular basis.
007 if you would see Tiger play right now you would see that it is very likelly he will end up in top 10 in all events this year.
Yo, JASON…Tiger just whopped Rors’ behind on #15…tied for 2nd so far, and Rors is one shot OVER PAR just now…so much for your theory. Wasn’t he 3 shots ahead before they started? Won’t gloat, it’s not over, but just shut up with your toilet mind.
Auld Hornet — Your guess is close. It’s something that Tiger has a Basement full off…..Win -less.
Bert, you are a sick troll! Can’t you just denigrate Tiger with facts, like me!
Your racial spin is repugnant while the marital infidelity argument is immaterial. Do you truly think all high profile sportsmen are role models?
you too 007. If you were half as cool ad the REAL 007 you wouldn’t be writing this, you’d be in bed w/a gorgeous movie star…monniker shows how inferior you really are.
Agree Day is not arrogant. Had a very difficult childhood to overcome and is now more centred and flying up the rankings. He’ll win plenty more, maybe even a major or two.
NOOOOOO! It’s not fair!!! My idol Rory is falling behind after a great round yesterday!!! I honestly thought when Rory shot that 67 he was going to win!!!
It’s one thing not to be playing well, but Phil is embarrassing himself. I have always been a huge Phil fan, as most are, but maybe it is over?
second bogey of the tourney and again reason was the driver
again bad with the driver really messing up those par 5s Tiger.
haha great line now from the commentators, when Tiger Rory and Luke are walking away from 18th green commentator said: And now everyone is going home!!
Sleep…..later….Go TW, Luke, etc.
Ha, ha, ha, ha! He should have skipped this tournament too and spent time with the family. Too bad Duval had to withdraw because of the “flu”. They could have battled for last place.
So technically Rory played the first 2 rounds in 2 less shots than Tiger. That 2 shot penalty was silly from him, but thats inexperience for you.
Reading the comments, its funny how ironic ‘Unbiased”s name is!!
pgatour.com moderator, kerfluckity should be banned from this site because of stupidity. He/she is a direct threat to intelligent people everywhere.
Tournament Winner – 2012 – WINNER
MCILROY, Rory 4.00
WOODS, Tiger 4.00
SCHWARTZEL, Charl 11.00
KARLSSON, Robert 12.00
GARCIA, Sergio 15.00
OLESEN, Thorbjorn 17.00
DONALD, Luke 26.00
HARRINGTON, Padraig 26.00
MAYBIN, Gareth 26.00
LAWRIE, Paul 29.00
ROCK, Robert 34.00
FINCH, Richard 51.00
HANSEN, Anders
I think Phil is doing a big research for us all. Many and many years he’s trying to find the best way how to play golf. And one day the old man will tell us his result: “The more you experiment, the worse your play will be!!” :-))
Today’s round 2 in Abu Dhabi actually saddened me a bit, as I never thought Rory would stoop so low as to brush sand away from his line while off the green, and then claim it was actually stones instead of sand. Didn’t another guy get suspended for 3 months for cheating? Remember Schwartzel taking the drop at The Memorial? At least the guys on the PGA Tour, guys like Webb Simpson, call a penalty on themselves when the ball moves, even if no one saw it. Guys like Rory break a rule that EVERYONE knows, and then tries to lie his way out of it. I hope you posters feel as I do, and quickly find someone else to root for…no one wants to cheer for a player who doesn’t observe the rules. Shame on you McIlroy!
BTW, can anyone believe that Donald is #1 in the world? He hits it 30 yds shorter than his playing partners, and is in every bunker, every waste area, misses a huge amount of greens, and then tries to chip and putt his way to a score. Like Gary Player said…”if you chip and putt for a living, you’ll starve.” Words well spoken by a true champion of the game…
Phil when he was concerned with Tiger and Vijay really got tough, and improved immensely, never to be counted out, after those 2 started to fade, the new rising stars are playing good and Phil needs to realize he isn’t competing against just 2 people anymore, he’s competing against a for real full field of real talent. If he wakes up one day and starts playing half way smart, he will jump up in the standings quickly, he is far from being out of it, just needs to quick screwing around, and just play golf like he use to.
Stinger…you’re kidding, right? Were you watching? Even Tiger was so disgusted that he finished out before Rory played and walked off the green, as he had never seen anything so despicable. Are you saying he didn’t know the rule? It’s one of the most well-known rules for any serious player that there is, so the only reason he would do it would be to gain an unfair advantage, and then lie as to whether it was sand or stones. This is a real blow to the kid, and I just hope he’s not suspended, as it’ll stay with him for his entire career. Wonder what else he’s done to break the rules?
Gail, No! I’m not kidding, go and spread your trolling on another website, you are poison. Rory will take your lover boy Eldrick down over the weekend.
Stinger…really surprised by the response, considering this is a “gentleman’s game,” and one where honesty and integrity play a huge part. I guess you’re the guy that takes the preferred lie and the putts inside the leather. Good for you! Maybe time to read the rulebook?
@Gail, Tiger walked off the green because he he has in golf game what he lacks in character.
Gail, i’m a lover of the rules and very knowleadgable when it comes to rules but Rory just made a mistake, plain and simple, just leave it alone now and enjoy some great golf over the weekend. Thanx
Sorry Adams…he walked off to leave the conversation to “Rors” and the rules official. He didn’t want to be asked about what Rory did, because he likes the kid and didn’t want to have to “rat him out” about his blatant rules breach. Isn’t it amazing how you guys try to blame this on someone other than McIlroy? He was PENALIZED two strokes, as the official didn’t believe the lie for a second. There’s nothing to dispute, and nothing left to conjecture. What he did was terrible wrong, and anyone with better than a 10 handicap knows better. Stop making excuses. Cheating is cheating!
It’s all tied up going into Saturday. I hope they both have solid rounds tomorrow/ tonight and are paired together in the final group on Sunday. Rory says he’s not intimidated by tiger but he has never been in a real Sunday pairing with him. It will be fun to see if he can handle the pressure and it will be fun to see if tiger can apply it. This might end up being a great preview for April. Gail, shut up. All of you mad about gails comments please ignore the tea bagger extremist!!
yeah shut up gail, you’re already making up the excuses for if Rory beats Tiger this weekend.
He made a mistake, he got a 2 shot penalty, which was a fair penalty, he continued on and everyone was happy. Life moves on, it’s no travesty at all.
He is still well in the tournament, if anything that shows that he has a much better temperament that he didn’t let it bother him.
newsbreak- luke donald caught rory trying to cheat.when approached he admitted to knowing the rule. thought the irish were more honest.
Once again, love knows no boundaries. I guess you have to give McIlroy a “bye,” as who else can you root for? Donald, who called the penalty on Rory by the way, will soon be demoted from #1, and your other savior, Kaymer, is slammin’ the trunk on his way back to the States to hit the range. Bottom line, I understand why you’d defend him at all cost, but don’t tell your kids…they’d lose respect for you….
IF he really was trying to get away with it, do you think he would try it in this group. We already know that the euros see rory as the next great and show his every move. We have seen tigers every move for 15 years and lets just throw the world #1 in there for more coverage. I don’t think he was trying to get away with anything. He made a mistake and moved on. Just like Gail’s parents at conception!!
Breaking news! Its 3 balls tomorrow – Rory, Eldrick and Karlsson. Should be fun viewing.
there is a spot in my club championship , but i am not sure phil could win there are no shots given
He could easily drop a 62-63 on the North Course today and get back into contention
Donald says:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:50 am
All the rory fans are getting really defensive. I’ve heard enough about tiger spitting on the course and how it offends all the Europeans. That’s why Americans get so deffensive. I have also heard enough about the long putters. I see several Europeans using them too. The long putters and spitting on the course may be unethical but what rory did was cheating whether de knew it or not. Everyone knows that ignorance doesn’t make excuses. So in anyone’s opinion what’s worse; being unethical, but legal or cheating, whether by ignorance or not.
Billy that would put him at 5 under. There are guys who shot that on the south yesterday so I don’t think Phil is going to catch anyone. Unless everyone shoots even par.
I have no problem that he did it, but then to try and tell the official he was moving stones? That’s when Luke and Tiger walked away, as the lying was too much to take. There’s an old addage…”once a cheater, always a cheater.” I’m sure X24 uses the foot wedge to gain an unfair advantage, as I’ve read enough of his posts to know how dishonest he is. For me, the game is about integrity, so if you want to root for someone that has none, be my guest. Just remember I warned you….
Official….I appreciate your post, as I thought the Irish were more honest as well. There are issues with the Euros, as who are bigger cheaters than Monty and “Sir Nick?” Now you can add M<cIlroy to the list. Even Seve, a great player with more charisma than all the players from the UK combined, was known to "jingle his change" in his pocket to gain an unfair advantage. Look, we know that there's bound to be an inferiority complex when the game is invented there and then the USA comes to own the sport. That's to be expected. Cheating to gain an edge crosses the line, and that's where players who lie to try and avoid a penalty, like McIlroy or Schwarzel, should be suspended. Golf has no place for cheaters….
Nice bait Gail but no bite. You and your knowing what people did and why is quite humorous. So tell me what was tiger thinking when he walked away from his post round interview oh great one. And doesn’t you addage apply to tiger? Isn’t he a cheater? Or does it mean when you cheat you will only repeat that type of cheating? Or does it carry into either aspects of life? Like will they both now cheat on their taxes because one cheats at home and one cheats at work. Please clarify, tea bagger!!
Anybody that comes from the land of bunkers and competes at the pro level, knows the rule. There is no such thing as a “mistake” when it comes to Rule 23.
Auld Hornet…great call! Rule 23 is one of the best known, and Rory could only have brushed the sand if one of his partners had hit out of the bunker and changed his lie once his ball was there. I’ve played enough events to know that, and I know you have as well. My issue is with those who defend cheaters. Tiger is a serial cheater in his personal life, but would NEVER cheat in the sport he represents. Often his temper is reprehensible, but he doesn’t cheat to gain an advantage. If anyone thinks that “Rors” didn’t try to better his lie by cleaning the fringe, they need a brain scan. It’s obvious what he did, and to defend it means you condone it. Just recognize that he cheated, and we can move on. Not sure he can move on, however….this is bad, real bad….
Wonder whether we’ll ever hear from Sir Shaun or Sean Smith. Their hero has been castrated, caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Now I know Sir Shaun is a solid player, and I’m sure he knows the rule. I’d be surprised if he lets Rory off the hook, as he strikes me as one who would always play by the rules. Interesting how you can tell the difference in the integrity of a guy like Sir Shaun and someone like X24 just from their posts, but I think I have it accurately depicted….
The penalty acknowledges the breach in rules you waste of oxygen. You keep trying to create an argument that isn’t there. He isn’t appealing the ruling and you don’t penalize them twice. Meaning, you don’t give him 2 strokes and a suspension. Ha! But I would like to suspend you for perpetual BS!
That’s why it’s called golf. Game Of Luck and Folly.
January 2nd, 2012 9:53 am
To Illustrate just how far Rory McIroy Stock has fallen in 24 hours. Just click on the European Tour’s Web Site right now. Rory went from being Plastered all over the Front Pages there to the Witness Protection Program not to be found or Mentioned at all… He said he wanted to go Head to Head with Tiger Woods in the Final Round for a Major and he got his Wish today. The Result was Tiger by 13 Shots! 67 to 80 in the Final Round of the Masters. Rory Looked as if he was Hiding from a Ghost behind the Trees in between Butler Cabin on the 10th Hole Today. Someone should Tell Rory be careful what you ask for number 1 and number 2, they don’t give out the Green Jacket on the 10th Hole. Especially to someone making a Snowman 8 who Choked like a Dog with a 4 Shot Lead on Sunday…
Appeal the ruling? How, by saying once again that it was stones? He already tried that with the rules official, who obviously knew he was lying. Of course the issue is over, but not gorgotten, as it speaks to the honesty and credibility of the lad. We all should have know when he called out Jay Townsend, a fine commentator just doing his job, or when he loud-mouthed his way to saying he’d “fancy” playing Tiger. Instead of knowing the type of guy he was, we cut him some slack, hoping we were wrong. Well, this is what you get, as boys like McIlroy don’t often change their spots…
May be time for a complete audit. Check the grooves, how his ball is marked, etc…. Once you get into these habits, they’re hard to break. I’m not trying to be mean, but you need to protect the rest of the field from someone trying to gain an unfair advantage. If it were me, he’d be gone from this event, and it would give him a wake-up call. If he’s going to be a “superstar” going forward, he needs to represent the sport properly….
Luke saved his butt when he chose to tell him: “I don’t think you can do that.” Thus avoiding the dreaded signing of the card dilemma to be followed by the obligatory De Vicenzo “What a stupid I am” from Rors.
Gail.. It’s quite funny how you are calling me out over the Rory McIlroy “cheating” subject. I have just seen the incident and in my honest opinion it looked like Rory’s mind seemed to freeze at that moment which caused the stupid mistake and he was correctly penelized 2 strokes for it, plain and simple.. he’s certainly not a cheat.
As far as the tournament goes, it looks like It’s all set-up beautifully for the weekend, Woods seems to be back to near his best, which can only be a good thing for Golf as a whole. McIlroy is going to be a force over the weekend and the rest of the year for certain, Sergio and Harrington are in the mix with a couple of Scot’s up their and the European young guns Oleson and Mannasero at the top.. these two will also be the future of the European Tour and World Golf.. Woods, McIlroy and Karlsson in the same group tomorrow, it’s going to be exciting that’s for sure.
Look a gail making up a “it was the stones” rumour. He admitted to it immediately when Donald pointed it out, you could hear that through the microphones.
This gail lady cracks me up all the time. Grade A troll!!
Gail, Rory made a mistake and he admitted that he actually does know better. It’s a 2 stroke penalty and it has been implemented. What about when Woods had officials spend over 20 minutes looking for his ball. That’s a rules infraction but it wasn’t assessed. Woods also watched 7 fans move a 300 lb boulder out of his way when he was young. That’s a rules infraction and they didn’t penalize him that time either but it is an infraction. Mistakes happen and they all make them, including tiger.
Gail.. It time to move on, I would not be shouting this from the roof-top’s(like what you are doing) if it was Tiger Woods or any other player for that matter.. do people constantly call Vijay Singh(although he did on the Asian Tour) Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney cheat’s? Just because this happened to McIlroy, you’re getting too carried away with it, Just give it a rest now Gail! I really admire McIlroy for bouncing back like he did after this incident, he’s a true Champion in the making.
Gail.. Any little or stupid mistake Rory McIlroy makes you seem to jump all over it and make it a HUGE issue, It’s quite sad really. You really do seem to hate this young lad with a pa$$ion?
Sir Shaun…welcome to the discussion. I totally understand you defending the lad, but let’s be fair. First, this is one of the easier rules to understand, as it is “in play” on many holes. Every decent player knows this, so it obviously raises questions as to why he did it. For example, if he kicked his ball from the high rough to the fairway, would you say “move on?” This is a perfect example of this rule, as I sincerely doubt ANYONE in the field would do what he did. Second, the other guys you mentioned didn’t try to defend their position. Johnson, for example, immediately admitted he did it, even though the world watching didn’t know it was a bunker. McIlroy tried to explain that it was “stones,” which is why there is so much significant damage to his credibility. I don’t “hate” anyone, but if you put yourself in the spotlight, like he’s done with his comments time and time again, you open yourself up to criticism when you do something questionable, and in this case he did. One question to you, Sir Shaun: you knew the rule, correct? You’ve played in tournaments, correct? Ever thought of doing what he did? Please be honest, as I’ll take you at your word…
BTW Sir Shaun, I think Whatney and his caddy were not completely forthcoming on their issue, and I’ll certainly remember that going forward, and I’m sure others will as well. You either try and deceive or you don’t, and I think Nick and his caddy tried to deceive. I don’t pick favourites, and I call it as I see it. McIlroy tried to tell the offical he wasn’t at fault, just like Nick Whatney. Both were wrong, and threaten the integrity of the game….
Gail – Some of what you said reminded me about another incident Rory had at the Masters in 2008, do you remember? He failed to get a bunker shot out and as several patrons discribed it, kicked the sand in frustration which is grounds for a DQ (testing condition). He signed his card and left the course and it took officials over four hours to find him. At their behest he returned to the course when it was almost dark and admitted to only smoothing the sand with his foot.
Please tell me why people are attacking Gail for the truth she speaks. Now, I mean, her hyperbole concerning Rory may not be necessary, but her facts are true. Rory tried to argue his way out of the penalty at first. I am not surprised by it, because he is young and young people test boundaries and see what they can and cant get away with.
I also agree that if you are to try to claim that Rory didn’t intend to improve his lie by brushing the sand away, then what the hell did you think he was doing it for? He is just a neat freak?
The point is this: Rory broke a rule, and would not have been penalized if Luke Donald had not of said something. Rory did not call himself out. However, after Luke said something, instead of just accepting it and taking the penalty, he had to get a rules official and try to BS his way out of the penalty. That is what I have a problem with. The fact that he didn’t call it on himself, and then even afterwards he tried to say it was “stones” he was brushing away.
As far as Rory being a force for the rest of this year, don’t bet on it. Rory will win, but he will never reach a level of consistency with his current swing. He uses too much lag (like Tiger circa 97 – though Tiger was smart enough and humble enough to change his swing despite winning a major by 12) and that is good when your timing and tempo are on, but as anyone who plays the game at the top level knows, your timing and tempo always feel different, even from day to day. So he will have weeks that he is off with his ball striking and weeks when he is on. Then, the weeks when he is on with his ball striking, as long as he keeps his short game strong, he will win events. However, he will never reach the level of consistency Tiger has exhibited over the last 15 years.
Auld Hornet…great comment on Roberto, as maybe he’s more famous for that than if he had won the tournament. One comment on Tiger: did you see how poorly he played the majority of bunker shots? It seems as though he’s trying (like he said he would) Foley’s move on everything, including his sand play, and it doesn’t seem nearly as solid as it used to be 4-5 years ago. Didn’t know if you noticed it and whether you had a comment, based on your uncanny ability to get it up and down from every bunker on the planet…
Thanks for the kind words, but that was a long time ago and I’ve kind of lost the touch. The Sky feed said they put new sand in the bunkers within the last week so its still fluffy and not settled in yet. Very hard to deal with unless you have the guts to get the face real close to the ball on entry.
Interested in what you think about my comments above on the 2008 Masters.
Gail.. McIlroy was simply not thinking straight and he admited it in his interview for Sky Sports, as soon as Donald told him he knew right away he had done a wrong thing, Rory was in breech of the rules and the proper action was taking.. he quickly moved on from this incident, maybe you should too.
As for your question’s to me Gail.. YES, YES and YES(but only on putting surface and never with a towel) LOL!
I completely forget the 2008 incident, and I actually attended the Masters that year. Just another example of Rory breaking the rules and claiming” I didn’t do it.” I think more will eventually come out about “Rors,” as you can’t cheat and get away with it in a game that prides itself on integrity. I’m sure he thinks that because everyone says he’s a great player, they’ll let his infractions slide. Good thing Tiger was in the group, as he would never let a cheating incident go unpunished. He has too much respect for the game…
Dustin Johnson: Denied that he had touched the sand and was required to watch a video showing him do it.
Rory McIlroy: Calls an official on himself.
TRY AGAIN GAIL
Where the hell is that “brushing stones away” story coming from? Link please?
Gail, quit kidding yourself, Augusta National GC would never leave you visit their course.
Sir Shaun…you have it wrong. McIlroy didn’t admit he had done something wrong, and told the official that it was stones that he moved. That’s the gripe that everyone has with his dishonesty. Like Auld Hornet has pointed out, this is a pattern of behaviour from a young guy that has known success, so he thinks he can break the rules. Please, Sir Shaun, find another golfer as your role model, as I think McIlroy will come to disappoint you, based on how little respect he has for the rules of the sport…
Once again a reference to STONES from gail. I want a link to that please.
Martin…nice try, but why don’t you try and add something to the discussion other than stupidity. By the way, if you’re a technical advisor of anything, I’m the new PGA Tour Commissioner…where do they find these dopes?
HAHAHAHAHAHA GAIL CAUGHT ROTTEN!!!!
Gail, stones link? I did a search and absolutely nothing came up, suggesting you’re making things up again.
All of you should read the post by The Authority, especially concerning McIlroy’s antics. He explains it quite well, and makes it easy to understand what is very disconcerting to the golfing public of the world. This pattern of behaviour is a HUGE issue, and one that needs to be addressed immediately. I’d rather not suspend the lad indefinitely, but something needs to be done to protect the rest of the field in the events that McIlroy plays. They shouldn’t have to compete with a lack of integrity, as that’s just not fair…
Gail, hello? Are you just going to ignore anyone that wants a source? Is that because there is no source? Sad
Nice try by “Martin”, wasn’t it gail? If I used my real name instead my nom de plume, being a PGA employee he’d feel the need to send me a letter of apology.
One solution would be to assign an official only to McIlroy, to make sure he doesn’t move his ball, doesn’t brush away “stones,” marks the ball properly, etc… That would allow him to play while making sure he doesn’t gain an unfair advantage on the field. It would be like an “ankle bracelet” that they put on suspects when they are afraid they might flee the country. That could solve this, show McIlroy that his behaviour is not appreciated, but still allow him to play….
What’s your real name Auld Hornet? Josef Fritzl or Charles Manson?
HELLO GAIL, I WOULD LIKE A SOURCE PLEASE
Gail, source?
Anytime now a source from gail would be nice
One solution would be to have a rules official specifically for McIlroy, making sure he doesn’t move his ball, brush away “stones,” mark his ball correctly, etc…. That would allow him to tee it up without creating an unfair advantage on the field based on his actions. It would be like an “ankle bracelet” that they put on suspects when they’re afraid they might flee the country. This could solve this while showing McIlroy that his behaviour is not appreciated, but it would still allow him to play…
Gail is never going to send me a source because there isn’t one
Remember when gail used to be funny? It was a good 12 months ago now but she used to come out with some crackers. Now she is a sad parody of herself
Could somebody unbiased (aka not gail) explain to me what really happened to Rory today? I believe he just made an honest mistake and accepted his penalty and didn’t moan about it, compared to Tiger who would probably never set foot outside America again.
Im actually a 14 handicap that has never even attended a pro event, nevermind play in one.
Taylor…Rory hit his ball on the fringe of the green, and brushed away the sand in front of it that was on the fringe. That’s a violation of Rule 23. Luke Donald called him on it, and a rules official came over. That’s when Rory whined that it was stones he was removing, not sand. If that were the case, there would be no penalty. The official looked at him, smiled, knew he was lying, and assessed him 2 strokes. Tiger walked off the green, visibly disgusted…
Taylor…Rory hit his ball on the fringe of the green, and brushed away the sand in front of it that was on the fringe as well, a clear violation of Rule 23. Donald called him on it, an official came over, and asked Rory what happened. McIlroy whined that it was stones he was brushing away, which was not a penalty. The official looked at him, smiled, knew he was lying, and whacked him with a 2 stroke penalty. Woods just walked off the green, disgusted…
GAIL would that be the reason they changed the 2balls to three tomorrow so tiger can keep an eye on him.now he’s been found out.
Great call Noddy…could be!
Gail.. Rory McIlroy clearly admitted he did a wrong thing in his interview with Tim Barter on Sky Sports.. you are getting to far fetched with all this now, especially with the “stones” quote please try to find a way to move on.. I know it will be hard for you – but please TRY.
LOL! “The official looked at him, smiled, knew he was lying, and whacked him with a two stroke penalty. Woods just walked of the green, disgusted…” What a GREAT FICTIONAL story Gail, you are being so PREJUICED! towards McIlroy and European Golf and all this stuff you’ve come up with couldn’t be further away from the truth if you wanted it to be.. Anyone who hasn’t seen this incident and want’s to know what truly happened, DON’T LISTEN TO GAIL!!
Sir Shaun…why would you so strongly defend someone who has repeatedly violated the rules? Yoy heard what Auld Hornet said about the Masters, and no one has more credibility than him. Then, you take what happened today, and even the official had to say “Sorry Rory, no chance they were stones” and apply the 2 stroke penalty. I feel bad for Donald, who could have looked the other way during McIlroys blatant violation, but at least he protected the field by calling an official over and making sure he didn’t get away with highway robbery. Like I said, Sir Shaun, try for another role model, as “Rors” is done. Maybe Robert Rock, if you’re ok with the hair style?
The Authority.. please don’t compare Rory McIlroy with Tiger Woods, I always say it’s totally unfair to judge a young man like McIlroy at this stage of his career to one of the greatest players that’s ever lived.. McIlroy will certainly be a force in WORLD GOLF! for years to come, if you cannot recognise this fact you don’t know that much about Rory McIlroy or professional Golf.. you know, It’s not all about the mechanics of a Golf swing that makes a Golfer a great player.
The Authority, we all know that you are Aaron Smith, because you always come up with that long elongated sh** about McIlroy’s swing. No-one else does.
Did you hear that Tiger punched a fan today? This rumour has as much strength as Rory saying that it was stones he was moving instead of sand. Complete and utter tripe.
And McIlroy didn’t call himself out on it because immediately after it, Donald commented! there was about a 5-10 second window, if he could call himself out on it in that short of a space of time, then he wouldn’t have done it in the first place would he have?
gail is really hitting new lows today, it’s sad.
LOL! Aberdeen’s own Paul Lawrie is my REAL Golfing hero, what a GREAT Champion.. I really loved his win at Carnoustie in the 1999 Open Championship and the 3 and a half points he got in the Ryder Cup a few months later – but unfortuatly that didn’t count for anything because of some DISGUSTING behaviour by your US team which cheated Europe out of a well deserved victory.. I really hope Paul WINS this weekend. By the way Robert Rock is a cool dude and has more charisma than most most American’s Gail…
Dave.. I think you’re right, this “Authority” bloke could be Aaron Smith in disguise.. he continues to slag McIlroy’s swing off when it’s nigh-on PERFECT! REALLY WEIRD.
Sir Shaun… I think Lawrie is a great choice, but isn’t he now being beaten by his son? Maybe we should have his son as a role model… Not sure why everyone is slagging me, as McIlroy is the one who tried to cheat. Isn’t it amazing that folks don’t want anything to happen to their heroes, so they pretend the bad things don’t happen? Same with Woods, when he disgraced himself with his personal behaviour, and now the same with Rory, whose parents must be wanting to disown him. Too bad, but that’s what happens when you try and take advantage of the rules…
Gotta set the DVR tonight, as I think the threesome of Tiger, Robert and the cheater is teeing off at 2:45am ET. Hopefully they’ll have an extra rules official with the group, just in case…
Sir Shaun…let me give you two other choices to now have as your favourite, considering that Lawrie is toast these days and McIlroy can’t be trusted. How about either Ricki Fowler or Keegan Bradley as your new guys to root for? Maybe they won’t win a lot, but they’ll play by the rules and they have charisma. Whaddya think?
Concerning this incident with Rory McIlroy, one has to question his caddie JP Fitzgerald.. he was standing right beside Rory when it occured, i’m sure JP knows the rules of Golf quite well and could have easily stopped McIlroy from doing what he did by saying something just as Rory was about to wipe the back of his hand along the top of the fringe.. I’m begining to think JP is costing McIlroy 3 or 4 shot’s a tournament and even tournaments itself. I know JP is his good friend but In my opinion he needs a strong caddie on his bag like Billy Foster.
Sir Shaun…good for you! I actually agree, as your caddy can give you advice that can stop you from taking advantage of the rules. I get nervous about these Irish guys when I think of not only McIlroy today, but Padraig was disqualified last year for another rules violation. Either these Irish guys need to read the rule book, or they’re going to events with a mindset to take advantage of the field. If so, that’s a disgrace!
Gail.. I’m sure Lawrie’s son is a good player and probably has beaten Paul on the odd occasion up their on the Aberdeenshire Links. He’s being brought up by a wonderful father in the GREATEST PLACE on EARTH to play and learn about true Golf.. the North East of Scotland. I’d rather root for Duffy Waldorf and than the 2 you mentioned above.
Duffy? Really? Actually, good to see you’re up on the sport and know some of the players from the past. Waldorf was a decent player, a guy who knew great wine, and I think they named a salad after him….:) Seriously, I’m concerned about McIlroy, as I’m wondering about his relationship with Wozniacki in light if what happened today. Does she dump him? If so, does he go back to Sweeney? All great questions….what’s your opinion?
Gail.. I saw Duffy for the first time in years in yesterday’s coverage and couldn’t believe what I was watching.. it was GREAT to see him again and he looks well, GO DUFFY! Gail, to be honest I don’t give a damn who McIlroy goes out with or any Sport’s person who’s personal life get’s cast into the public limelight, although I do think Sweeney is a lot hotter than Wozniacki, Rory.. what were you thinking boy? I’m Going to check Duffy’s score, i’ll be back in a minute.
I see Americans on the PGA Tour calling in Rules Officials for the Lateral Water Hazard Ruling for goodness sake. How can they not know this ruling? What happened today with Mcilroy was a “brain fart”. He realised he was wrong immediately which is why a rules officical was alerted and the 2 stroke penalty was implemented. He wrote the 6 on his card and came back for what ended up as a fine round of even par 72 when you consider what happened. For any average player after that incident, they would have shot 76-80.
To all the Mcilroy haters who run down Mcilroy after his Masters decline saying he has no character and all this. Yeah you are right back then he didn’t. He is a changed player since then. A young Major winner and future winner of 10 or more Major Championships. The next World Number 1 and potentially a dominant world number 1. He proved he has charatcher and guts now by having a whole host of bogeys and a few double bogeys and yet when you look at the board he is ONLY 2 shots off the leader.
How easily you haters, usually American forget that Rory Mcilroy is STILL only 22 years of age.
Duffy Waldorf -5 F
Duffy is going to easily make the cut, WELL DONE! I’m going to be rooting for Duffy over the weekend for sure.. COME ON DUFFY!
Your great hope Rickie Fowler just missed a 5 foot putt to break 70 on a wind-less day. The South was there for the taking but Rickie just isn’t good enough.
Fowler is 7 strokes behind Snedeker, Stanley and Flores? Who? 3 gents with a staggering 1 PGA Tour victory between the 3 of them? What a strong field you have out there.
The strongest group you have there was Mickelson, Watney, Mahan. Add up their combined World Ranking it adds up to 45.
The strongest in Abu Dhabi obviously is Donald, Mcilroy, Woods whose combined World Ranking adds up to 29.
6 World top 10s, KJ Choi, Schwartzel top 20s.
Thats true you just need to take a look at both Leaderboards and you can see the huge difference in quality.
Hi Sean.. pure HATRED for Rory McIlroy is seeping through many of these posters vein’s who have heavily critisized him over this incident.. Gail is the prime example.
Sean…22 years old, and already all these issues concerning rules, penalties, and the integrity of the game? I’m worried if this is the future of golf. Not sure it’s in the best hands, or whether those hands are doing things they shouldn’t be with the golf ball. Maybe it’s time to check? We can use technology to go back and look at McIlroys tourmanents to see just how many times he did things that were in violation of the rules. We know about today, and we know about the Masters in 2008. How many more were there?
Hi Sir Shain – Yes what happened with Mcilroy was clearly a lapse of concentration and gail and a few others are trying to make it seem as though he did it on purpose.
Today was day of Sabbath in that part of the world and the crowds they reckon were arguably the biggest ever in the history of the Middle East tournaments so I wouldnt have thought it would be wise of him to try and cheat right in front of them. I have also never seen so many cameras on the course in an event there, why would he try it on right in front of them all? It was clearly a mistake, he received his rightful 2 stroke penalty and now it should all be forgotten and everyone should be looking forward to a fantastic weekend’s play.
Shaun* sorry =\
I was up early watching it all Live and I watched Rory walk up to his ball and wipe the ground almost immediately. It was when Woods was walking back from pacing his shot. You can see there wasn’t much thought going on he just did it.
Sky Sports showed in Slow Motion a few times him brushing the ground and what some people said about no one mentioning his penalty is rubbish. They showed it on Sky Sports News.
Ryo Ishikawa is the “Tiger Woods” of Japan, Rory Mcilroy is the “Tiger Woods” of Europe. Why do you think he would want to give himself a bad name especially so early in his career gail? It was a lapse of concentration he was punished why cant we all just move on.
I’m not saying either Ryo or Rory are as good as or ever will be as good as Tiger was I’m referring to the attention they receive in their parts of the world.
Sean… I can appreciate you defending your hero, but everyone knows that rule if they play any type of serious golf. What he did is the same as kicking your ball out from behind a tree, and now I’m wondering if he ever did. This isn’t just bad, it’s horrible, and questions how he sees the game, and whether he tries to take advantage of the rest of the field. Same with Harrington last year, who was DSQ’d when a fan saw his ball move on the green. Think he didn’t see it move, or he just hoped no one else saw it?
gail – The Harrington incident you are referring to the ball moved about 1 thousandth of a centimetre and rolled back onto it’s spot. Paddy is definately an honest player who’s had a very fine career. I dont believe he saw it no. I saw it in super slow motion at home and could barely see it move either.
gail – The fact that this particular ruling with Mcilroy today only applies when you are OFF the green (you are allowed to move sand that’s on the green of course) makes this ruling more confusing than the Lateral Water Hazard an American Player called a Rules Official in for in one of the Fall Series events last season. The Lateral Water Hazard rule is probably the easiest in golf.
That person who said people helped Tiger look for his ball for 20 minutes when you’re only allowed 5 minutes and the 7 men moving that boulder is all true of course and I guess in your opinion is NOT Woods trying to bend the rules???
It was clearly an accident and I’m sure if it was Tiger Woods who did it and received the 2 shot penalty for it you would be saying it ISNT justified. You are only banging on about it because it is Mcilroy and you are scared he will take golf over for the next decade and not one of your precious American “young guns”.
Tiger Woods is looking better theres no doubt about it but theres still something there I dont know. Maybe it’s his poor driving accuracy still (with the driver, he’s fine with the 3 wood), maybe it’s his short game (that was a fine duff from 70 yards to 40 feet short in round 1), it could be his inability to make as many putts anymore (35 putts in round 1), but there is no way he will get back to number 1 in the world (in 2012 anyway) if he doesn’t improve in each of the departments I mentioned.
Sean.. I totally agree, Sky Sports News’ take on this incident was easy to understand and it was as clear as day for all to see.. Gail and all the other American poster’s will never get to see it like we saw because they don’t get Sky over in the States, there was certainly no “cheating” going on.. In his Sky Sports interview to Tim Barter, Rory openly admitted he was in the wrong, it was simple a lapse in concentration and he will learn from this mistake and never do such a thing again.
Ole Lefty is currently t-109th in a field that is probably 5 times easier to win in than the Abu Dhabi Tournament. Phil is turning into Eldrick and lying in his interviews kidding himself. When Woods was driving the ball 70 yards offline he told reporters hes driving it “great”. Mickelson has said for 2 weeks he has been practicing great and is shocked at his poor start. I know I’m not.
Sir Shaun, yes that is correct. It was obviously a brain fart and if it happened to Eldrick or one of their American “young guns” she would be saying the 2 shot penalty was harsh. Yeah Sky Sports News showed it all and the interview and Mcilroy was honest in his interview. I never knew an honest cheater.
The problem is in the States all they do is show countless slow motion views of Eldricks new swing and show him picking his nose or walking 100 yards. They dont just concentrate on the golf. They advertise Baseball and American Football during a GOLF broadcast? I couldnt imagine Sky Sports golf coverage advertising a Man United vs Liverpool game. Just stick to the golf.
Win
Tournament Winner – 2012 – WINNER
MCILROY, Rory 4.25
WOODS, Tiger 4.25
KARLSSON, Robert 12.00
SCHWARTZEL, Charl 12.00
GARCIA, Sergio 15.00
MANASSERO, Matteo 17.00
OLESEN, Thorbjorn 17.00
HARRINGTON, Padraig 26.00
DONALD, Luke 29.00
LAWRIE, Paul 29.00
MAYBIN, Gareth 29.00
ROCK, Robert 34.00
MCDOWELL, Graeme 41.00
HANSEN, Anders 51.00
FINCH, Richard 61.00
MOLINARI, Francesco 61.00
GONNET, Jean-Baptiste 81.00
JIMENEZ, Miguel Angel 81.00
RAMSAY, Richie 81.00
WESTWOOD, Lee
Also the Commentators on the European Tour don’t kiss Tiger’s rear end like the American Commentators do.
I AM SO GLAD TIGER HAS LOST HIS GAME. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HIS SMUG SMILE AND SARCASTIC DISRESPECTFUL REMARKS IN HIS INTERVIEWS AFTER A GOOD ROUND. TIGER WOODS WILL NEVER WIN A MAJOR AGAIN. JOE LA CAVA MADE A HUGE MISTAKE LEAVING DUSTIN JOHNSON’S BAG FOR TIGER WHEN IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE DUSTIN WILL BE CASHING FAR LARGER CHEQUES THAN TIGER WOODS WILL BE.
TIGER WOODS IS PLAYING LIKE AN AMATEUR TODAY…. NO WAIT, PATRICK CANTLAY IS AN AMATEUR ISNT HE??? TIGER WOODS IS PLAYING WORSE THAN AN AMATEUR. WOODS 5 SHOTS DOWN TO PATRICK CANTLAY AND I THINK ITS FANTASTIC.
gail is always banging on about how weak the European Tour is even though this week has drawn 6 top 10 players in the world and this isnt including Woods, Harrington, Choi, Schwartzel etc. All great players on a great layout. Next week in Qatar should also be a very strong field and the week after the Dubai Golf Championship is ALWAYS a strong world class field.
I would like to know gail’s views on the strength of the European Tour now. She can see with her own eyes the difference in quality between the fields in the Middle East and in California.
It’s so fun to read comments here. Let suppose that the Rory’s incident would have happened to Tiger Woods. What would have been yours comments about it Sir Shaun and especially sean smith?
gail is always banging on about how weak the European Tour is even though this week has drawn 6 top 10 players in the world and this isnt including Woods, Harrington, Choi, Schwartzel etc. All great players on a great layout. Next week in Qatar should also be a very strong field and the week after the Dubai Golf Championship is ALWAYS a strong world cla$$ field.
I would like to know gail’s views on the strength of the European Tour now. She can see with her own eyes the difference in quality between the fields in the Middle East and in California.
Gand Alf, If it had happened to Tiger Woods I would also say that it was a lapse of concentration, and if the 2 shot penalty was rightfully given to Tiger if he did it, then that is justifyable and we should all just move on and look forward to what should be a great weekend’s play. gail for example is labeling Mcilroy as a cheater when he most certainly isnt. He had an interview after the round and admitted his wrong-doing. He was punished, he bounced back when a lesser player would have proceeded on to shoot in the later 70s or early 80s. Thats it.
Gand Alf – What did you think I would have possibly thought if this incident had happened to Tiger Woods?
The Cheater did not ask to see an official. He tried to cover it up but knew Luke was watching him after telling him of his “mistake”.
Secondly, Bettingzone.co.uk now shows: TW even with Rors in just a few hours from Rors’ odds higher to win….
Lastly, Rors’ odds are DRIFTING IN ALL THE OUTLETS, AND TIGER’S ARE RISING!!!
Sky is biased towards their own. You don’t have to tell us what they write, we can see it for ourselves. They’re gonna swing it their way, the way they would in the US if they had any brains. The US only wants to promote youngsters, not appreciate still viable upper echelon guys, and the real number one.
Gandalf.. If the same thing happened to Tiger Woods or any other player, I would be saying the exact same thing’s.. Anyone can make an honest mistake in professional Sport and that’s what Rory did, these guy’s are human being’s after-all, just like us, we can all make mistakes.. time to move on.
And this incident would NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO TIGER WOODS. ANY INCIDENTS IN THE LAST 16 YEARS sean??? Didn’t think so. Go pick on Gail.
Unbiased.. your post doesn’t describe your name.. get a NEW NAME! you’re a TOTAL JOKE!
Truth hurts, huh? Just stirring up trouble asking a$$inine questions knowing they’re false. This was YES, a possible mistake on Rors’ part, but HIS DECISION NOT TO CALL IT IMMEDIATELY ON HIMSELF AND ASK FOR AN OFFICIAL is what it is…he tried to get away with it. Youngster or not, he TRIED TO GET AWAY WITH IT.
Name not liker or not, you are retarded if you think otherwise.
Sean Smith
You are often so biased that I wondered.
As for the “boulder”. It was not illegal. Woods even asked a rule before doing this. It was not illegal, may be a little bit not ethical. Don’t forget that the rules were changed quickly to close that door. Unfortunately, they don’t move quickly for the long putter. It is at the limit a the rule as for the boulder.
SIR shaun I don’t think tiger has found his comfort just yet..noticed he doesn’t seem friendly towards donald.. haven’t seen them exchange hardly any words, not sure he wants to interact with rory either… it’s allways rory going to him for a chat. he just seems to be doing what keeps him in the contest for the moment. looking for him to step it up now. garcia ..schwartzel are sitting not far away if things go wrong up front.cheers/.
Rory isn’t a cheater, please! He is a doofus, and I think a public spanking is in order. Monty to do the honours! 3 good smacks with an open hand. Let that be a lesson, young man! PAY ATTENTION SON!!!
I don’t really want to get into a petty slagging match with you – but if you’re going to call yourself “Unbiased” after the last couple of post’s, you clearly don’t understand the meaning of the word and you really should be the one that is refered as “retarded.”
Can I have a rules official here, I need a rule.
I need to know if Gail qualifies as a loose impediment. I’m pretty sure there will be hundreds of posters willing to move that impediment.
Sean, buddy, let it go, You are feeding the monster you’re trying to kill. Gail is here because she craves your attention. You should go back to posting interesting stuff about european tour players and loose the ultranationalism as well.
I just watched it again. Tiger and Luke aren’t even in the frame so no one watching on tv could see their reaction. Rory showed where he wiped his hand, the official ruled and then rory asked if he could wipe the green with his hand and was told yes. 2 stroke penalty end of story.
With that I mean to say that Gail is a liar. She never saw anyone “leave in disgust”. Except maybe her deadbeat dad.
Hao.. Tiger’s swing is looking very solid and will only get better the more competitive round’s he play’s. It looks like he has the ball flight under control for the first time in over 2 years but he’s still battling a bit with his driving which has been little wayward over the 2 days. Woods is certainly going to be a serious challenger over the weekend, that’s for sure. Rory and Tiger seemed to get along quite well and there was a lot of chat in round 1 – but Donald was basically non-exsistant in the conversation. Hao, there’s a bunch of GREAT players in the mix and the likes of Garcia, Schwartzel and Harrington are lurking in the background if Tiger, Rory and Co don’t get the job done.. I’m looking forward to it, the Woods, McIlroy and Karlsson group should make for good viewing later on.. I’m off now, going to get up early to watch the Golf, take care Hao.. Good-day/Goodnight. :)
enjoy cheers/.
McIlroy called an official to see was it a 1 or 2 shot penalty and how should he proceed.
This is laughable behavior by the anti-Rory brigade. Did you all label Dustin Johnson a cheat at the 2010 PGA too and accuse him of lacking cla$$?
As far as I can tell Haha, no such “brigade” exists, the inflammatory nonsense has one source, and everyone knows who that is…
gail saying that Harrington is a cheater is possibly the stupidest thing that she has ever said and that is really, really saying something.
I know that I have disagreed with X24 Hot in the past as he is a fan of US golf and Tiger but at least he has the decency to see the complete nonsense that gail continued to churn off like a horribly broken record on a loop.
I’m still looking for that ruling.
If we can take “The impediment” out of this board we will be able to have more inteligent discusions.
As for the Abu Dhabi tournament. It’s really impressive that Matteo M shot -7 on Friday when his dirivng distance is “just” under 280yds. He must have shot some pretty good 6 – 5 irons.
DON’T like this setup too many average players going low early; prefer to see a good test of golf.