Ruling for free relief for Garcia @ Barclays in playoff

[kafka01]

Hey,

as Garcia hit his second shot dead behind a tree i shortly left the TV thinking that was it - and after i came back i saw he getting a free drop to actually having a straight line onto the green - seriously WTF - do they always find an excuse??? So can anybody explain me please what happend there exactly?

On Thursday (or friday) i think on the drivable Par 4 he chipped his 3rd over the green and also got relief from the rough almost onto the green.

I mean there are all this rules which you get penalized for in golf just to make the game fair, and then i see a guy giving himself a HUGE advantage by dropping it from behind a tree?? Hey why not just drop it in the fairway and kick it with your foot 10 yards forward cuz the wind probably was against him???

Do you guys think this is fair?

[CG031]

God forbid he got a break for once. I mean, jesus, he finally drains a long putt, what you think is for the win, and Vijay makes a GREAT putt and ties him force another hole. And then Vijay plays a great hole, makes birdie, and wins the tournament. Sergio rarely gets any breaks and he finally did but it didnt mean anything in the end anyway...

Getting back to this...

Yeah it was pretty stupid but he said there was some type of animal or something moving under the ground, like a gopher. Pretty strange.

[alf174]

He found active signs of a mole burrowing in the immediate area, showed the official, was approved, and was able to take relief.

[kafka01]

God forbid he got a break for once. I mean, jesus, he finally drains a long putt, what you think is for the win, and Vijay makes a GREAT putt and ties him force another hole. And then Vijay plays a great hole, makes birdie, and wins the tournament. Sergio rarely gets any breaks and he finally did but it didnt mean anything in the end anyway...

Dont get me wrong here - for me it doesnt matter if its Garica, Harrington, Mickelson or whoever - for me it just felt a little bit "strange" and a bit controversy to "play it as it lies".

[iacas]

Do you guys think this is fair?

Yes.

He found active signs of a mole burrowing in the immediate area, showed the official, was approved, and was able to take relief.

That's why it's fair.

I firmly believe knowledge of the rules helps you more often than it hurts you. By far. Kudos to Sergio for keeping his head about him and taking advantage of the rules.

[bogeyhitter25]

Quite frankly I agree with "iacas".

[CG031]

Yeah. Too bad he hit that shot fat around the tree too. I twould've been on the green and maybe have made birdie to tie Vijay for another hole!

[michaeljames92]

Yeah that was a pretty interesting ruling. But i was more excited with the par 5 which he killed the drive and hit a 4 iron to the green in two. That was good ball striking.

[traviswise]

Either way, I felt bad for Serg, but it made for great golf.

[TigerCurtis333]

Yes.

Totally agree - it's real simple...if it's a rule, it's a rule; there are no grey lines.

That being said, that's a very stupid rule. Mole burrowing in the area...so he gets a better line and moves away from a tree? Now I don't know because I was at work - but unless he's about to hit the burrowing "spot", there's no reason why he should be able to move his ball. Here's why - Let's say Lefty and Sergio are tied going into the 18th hole on Sunday at the Masters. Sergio hit's his drive to the middle of the fairway and then hits a decent iron shot to the green, with a chance at birdie. Lefty, who killed his drive and is now directly behind a tree, says a Mole is near him, or whatever. Instead of Lefty having to make a tricky shot to save par and MAYBE tie the hole, he gets a better line and puts it inside of Sergio's, and then wins the tournament. What's gonna happen when a friggen mole is a factor in deciding who wins the Masters. And as far as Sergio moving his ball from the rough to the green on the 295 par 4 - again, VERY, VERY smart play on his part - but as a rule, that's just pathetic. From heavy rough on a tiny green to the fringe.

[shredfit]

I firmly believe knowledge of the rules

I could not agree more. In many cases the rules are there to help the player. However, I've played with several avid "rule" followers that actually give themselves higher scores then they really make... due to following what they perceive as rule penalties. (the one that comes to mind is they take a stroke for a drop away from a cart path... when they should get a free drop).

[RichF]

Yeah that was a pretty interesting ruling. But i was more excited with the par 5 which he killed the drive and hit a 4 iron to the green in two. That was good ball striking.

You missed the greenside chip next to the hole following those!

As someone said in the commentary box: "three of the best shots in succession I've seen all year". That 4-iron was ridiculous - 240yards? I felt sorry for Sergio yesterday: he holed that 17-18ft birdie and you'd think the show was over but Vijay followed it and sunk an even longer one. What is it with Garcia and guys out-putting him?

[CG031]

I could not agree more. In many cases the rules are there to help the player. However, I've played with several avid "rule" followers that actually give themselves higher scores then they really make... due to following what they perceive as rule penalties. (the one that comes to mind is they take a stroke for a drop away from a cart path... when they should get a free drop).

What? Since when is it a stroke penalty to drop from a cart path?

[iacas]

I felt sorry for Sergio yesterday: he holed that 17-18ft birdie and you'd think the show was over but Vijay followed it and sunk an even longer one.

Well let's be fair now: Vijay's wasn't longer or he'd have putted first. The ShotLink guys were on the ball there and correctly identified who was away. Sergio was, and putted first.

[CG031]

I don't think Sergio caught a bad break with Vijay being inside Sergio's distance. If Vijay steps up first, and drains the birdie putt, I highly doubt Sergio makes his. It was just a bad break than Vijay ends up draining his as well!

[RichF]

Well let's be fair now: Vijay's wasn't longer or he'd have putted first. The ShotLink guys were on the ball there and correctly identified who was away. Sergio was, and putted first.

My mistake....what I should have said is that you don't usually expect or see some player in a Play-Off situation drop a 17 footer like Garcia and then have it followed up like Vijay did.

Exciting stuff, though.

[RichF]

BTW, does antone think these last day 2nd-placings are going to have any mental effect on Garcia?
He seems to be keeping things in check since The Players earlier this year, but falling 2nd to Harrington again and now this yesterday: how more can he take?

He seems to be doing okay under pressure - but when I saw that tee-shot on the 17th in the play-off followed up with the shot into the trees which caused him to be stymied....I had doubts....

[iacas]

BTW, does antone think these last day 2nd-placings are going to have any mental effect on Garcia?

I don't know, but that sounds like a good topic for a new thread. It's out of place in a thread about the ruling he got.