Gallery helped Tiger today!

[rembrandt]

Tiger hit a person in the gallery with a tee shot that was headed OB and the ball rebounded into the fairway. Wish I had someone out there to knock my errant drives back where I can find them and go for the green. Luck goes along with great play, no doubt about that!

[iacas]

Tiger hit a person in the gallery with a tee shot that was headed OB and the ball rebounded into the fairway. Wish I had someone out there to knock my errant drives back where I can find them and go for the green. Luck goes along with great play, no doubt about that!

It wasn't headed OB. It was a few inches outside the rope. The guy was standing on the rope line. OB was another 30 yards away.

And luck goes both ways. I've seen players get horrible bounces off of people or structures or whatever. The main advantage fans provide is to define the fairways, distances, and of course to help find balls that do scatter off into the weeds. At the beginning of coverage, Lucas Glover (or someone) hit a ball on the roof of the spectator tent and it bounced back much closer to the green. He got up and down (it was a par 5) for a birdie. That was far luckier. Even with a free drop, he'd have been horribly shortsided.

[ragontona]

The main advantage fans provide is to define the fairways, distances, and of course to help find balls that do scatter off into the weeds.

Another advantage is trampled-down rough when the player hits into the gallery. A lot of times, it's better to miss the fairway by ten yards than three.

[iacas]

Another advantage is trampled-down rough when the player hits into the gallery. A lot of times, it's better to miss the fairway by ten yards than three.

You're right. I forgot that one. It may be more important than galleries finding balls (because, after all, it's easier to find a ball when the grass is trampled!

).