Woody's "Non-Putt"?

[iacas]

I honestly think he meant to make a stroke at it, but the rules of golf are clear. Unless the ball was shown to have moved on the video replay, the player's word stands and is the ONLY evidence that can really be considered.

[countjyro]

I agree with the thought that he meant to hit it. His putter stopped too abruptly and too close to the ball for me to believe it was on purpose.

[Puttin4Bird]

I don't believe he meant to, had he hit the ball with that much momentum it would have gone 45-50 feet across the green. I think he just slammed the putter down behind the ball throwing one of his patented hissy fits.

[Brandonink2001]

Wow, I am surprised so many people think Woody was attempting to make a stroke. To me it appeared he was slamming his putter straight down onto the ground behind the ball. (POST-POST EDIT: And by "so many people" I guess I mean seven! LOL)

If you have watched him play, you know how fiery he is and how hard he is on himself. He is very demonstrative on the course. I also believe the man has integrity and was guilty of being really pissed off at himself, which while stupid given the circumstances, is not cheating.

IN MY OPINION! Long live the right for every man and woman to have his or her own, eh?

[Golf4life]

Wow, I am surprised so many people think Woody was attempting to make a stroke. To me it appeared he was slamming his putter straight down onto the ground behind the ball. (POST-POST EDIT: And by "so many people" I guess I mean seven! LOL)

Slamming the putter less than an inch behind the ball...

I dont think it has anything to do cheating. Integretity of the sport, well that's different! Throwing temper tantrums every week does get old. It almost bit him in the ass this time.

[TD22057]

When I first saw it, I thought he was slamming the putter down. My thinking was that if you felt that he could try to hit the ball and miss it, you also have to allow that maybe he was trying to hit the ground further back and missed that spot as well. On the other hand, if you're slamming your club down, it should come straight down and on the replay it looked like his club was moving forward which would indicate an attempted stroke. On the other hand, I'd say the replay wasn't completely conclusive as to whether or not the putter was really moving forward so I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand (which hand are we back to now?), I doubt he would slam the putter down and then tap in all while walking towards the ball. If he had stopped walking, then slammed the putter, then tapped in I'd be more inclined to believe him.

[Divot Tool]

Woody clearly made an attempt at the ball, so in my mind he made a bogey 6 on that hole. Up to that point, Woody had played poorly and was only making mediocre pars. It was apparent that he was frustrated and emotional.

I watched this live and I thought he actually hit the ball...it was that close, only to realize that his putter miraculously stubbed the green.

My reasons to believe so is because, he clearly accelerates his club from a path that is intended to strike the ball with no signs of restraint. If one were to slam the club on the green-which in itself is just poor etiquette-wouldn't one slam it vertically (in a up to down motion)? This seems very peculiar! So it leaves one to question if in the heat of the moment he did make an attempt, only to have the stroke saved by the green.

[mkoreiwo]

looks to me like he was just stopping his forward momentum, then tapped in.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Throwing temper tantrums every week does get old.

You're probably getting tired of watching Tiger Woods then huh?

[J_Bone]

For the record: I hit the yes button , but meant to hit the NO button. Sorry, 6am brain fart...

Wow, I am surprised so many people think Woody was attempting to make a stroke. To me it appeared he was slamming his putter straight down onto the ground behind the ball. (POST-POST EDIT: And by "so many people" I guess I mean seven! LOL)

I would have to agree, it looked to me that he was just slamming his putter down out of frustration.

[Golf4life]

You're probably getting tired of watching Tiger Woods then huh?

Yeah you're right, bending putter shaft by slamming in his head, calling out the best golfer in the world, in previous competition, then choking.. You're right what was Tiger thinking.

[Hacker]

I watched it live as well, and the many re-plays. I am sure that he was trying to make a stroke. If you look at the re-play the angle of the club face hits the ground in such a way that one would do during a down stroke. But golf is a game of integrity and so we must assume that he is being honist.

[gogolfing]

But golf is a game of integrity and so we must assume that he is being honist.

I think he made a stroke at it, so I'm assuming he's being dishonest and hurting the integrity of the game.

I couldn't stand his bit at the PGA, and I think he is a schmuck. He can take his attitude and Tobasco shirts down the road as far as I'm concerned. Though, I still laugh every time I see the replay of him busting the putter over his head.

[Hacker]

True, true.

[countjyro]

Well, if I was one who believed in Karma, I would have to think he was being dishonest yesterday and thus his score paid for it today.

[clstrat]

not really sure if anyone has addressed this but...

tiger woods was woody's playing partner and he didn't seem to have a problem with the ruling.

is it really that hard to believe that the guy tried to slam his putter down, and in a moment of even more embarrassment, couldn't do that right either?

i think it's a sad day when everyone is complaining about how bad woody austin's integrity is. nobody knows the guy or what he did or didn't try to do. it's ridiculous to assume that someone would try to cheat with millions of people watching and knowing full and well you have cameras all over you. it just doesn't make sense. maybe he did. i don't know. but my reason and the video clips tell me that at best, all the evidence was inconclusive.

anybody who says otherwise is the real liar.

[SubPar]

looks to me like he was just stopping his forward momentum, then tapped in.

Nobody slams the putter down with that much momentum not intending to hit the ball. You think had the putter bounced into the ball knocking it into the cup he would have taken the penalty for moving the ball and retaken the putt?... no way.

I've done exactly the same thing several times when frustrated at missing a putt. You get a little unbalanced over the ball and you catch the grass so firmly you miss the ball. In my view he meant to hit it.

[T.J.K.]

I don't think he tried to hit it and accidently missed it. I think he tried to slam it behind in the ball in frustration and accidently got to close.

I gotta take his word for it. It's not that big of a deal anyway.