Woody's "Non-Putt"?

[Golf4life]

  Tim Schoch said:

1. Yes, a whiff is a stroke.

Whatever happened to ....... INTEGRITY! if you have none, then i guess that would explain the reason to come up with an excuse.

[Diggitydog]

I watched the video in slo mo and to me I vote no stroke. The key thing for me is that his stride doesn't hitch at all. If it was me and I was trying to stroke and missed, my body would stop as in what did I just do. He appears to ground the putter then slap it in.

[DDBowdoin]

is there a video out there of this? I missed it

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

  Tim Schoch said:

Kind of like OJ.

Yeah but everyone knows OJ is innocent

  DDBowdoin said:

is there a video out there of this? I missed it

There's a link to it in this thread. Or just go to youtube.com and search for it there.

[iacas]

The poll has been running about 60/40 in favor of "Woody is a liar."

FWIW, this is the "forum topic of the week" in our most recent podcast, episode 072:
http://thesandtrap.com/podcasts/golf_talk_episode_072

[TheNextBen]

I think he was doing a Tiger-Tap-In where he's frettening the ball with a big swing, making the ball feel afraid and then just taps it in.

[WorkerOfTheBall]

I also added the 'actual speed' version to go along with the slower version I posted earlier.

[SubPar]

After reviewing the YouTube replay, I am sure I was right the first time... that was a stroke. The putter had forward momentum on it when it hit the turf. He was flipping his wrist and the timing was off. He meant to hit it; otherwise he is an even bigger fool for swinging the putter at the ball like that NOT meaning to hit it.

SubPar

[Diggitydog]

I had only seen this in slo mo as I missed the tourney. After reviewing the full speed version I am now saying that he made a stroke at the ball.

Woody's stock just went down in my book.

[ericm]

Woody is entitlted to his position, but IMO he intended to hit that ball. I saw it in realtime and thought immediately that he had tried to hit the ball. I was unpleasantly surprised when Maltbie reported that Austin said he had carded a 5. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but Woody Austin ranks well below Sabatini today.

[leftydave]

I don't think he made a stroke. I watched him putt the next couple of holes and he seems to consistently slam his putter down behind the ball and make then make a fast stroke.
Plus he said that he did not.

[gripitandripit]

  Kellfire said:

I'm sorry but there is absolutely no way that was NOT a stroke.

I agree 100%. It seems very obvious.

[sonicblue]

I just watched the video again several times. If you notice, even in slow motion, there was absolutely NO hiccup to his walk. I think if one was planning to walk up and, in stride, stroke the ball in the hole, but stubbed it into the ground unexpectedly, your stride would be broken. Woody didn't even flinch, his balance was never upset, he immediately swung the putter back a couple inches and then stroked it into the hole, without missing a beat. I think there was no violation.

[Diggitydog]

  sonicblue said:

I just watched the video again several times. If you notice, even in slow motion, there was absolutely NO hiccup to his walk.

I agree that slo mo doesn't show a hiccup but in real time the hiccup shows up. The stutter / hiccup in the stride is his "tell" on what he's thinking IMO and in real time he has a slight stutter in his step. It's slight but it's there. Slo mo doesn't pick it up. Even how hard he leans on his putter after gives him away to some degree. I know you'll say that's just because he's angry but I think it's a sign of him trying to smooth out his mistake.

It was a stroke.

[Tim S]

I agree Diggity.

That is one tainted stroke.

[SubPar]

The real lesson here is that no one should rush up and move the club toward or around the ball in such a manner as to raise the question. Also, with a lot of money on the line, such emotional malfunctions can be costly.

A week or so after Woody's "incident" a European player at the British Masters took a swipe at a ball an inch from the hole and wiffed it.

SubPar

[flash]

I don't understand who actually makes the"call" .Woody says he did not intend to make a stroke,but was stopping himself from doing so;or falling down;whatever he says,IT is taken as a done deal.settled,kaput. BUT Phil M. has deemed his ball as lost( anyone remember this??) only to be told that a ''paying outside agency' finds it so guess what?sorry P.M.your "call" has been revoked.do not pass go, .......Cheers Flash

[iacas]

  flash said:

I don't understand who actually makes the"call" .Woody says he did not intend to make a stroke,but was stopping himself from doing so;or falling down;whatever he says,IT is taken as a done deal.settled,kaput. BUT Phil M. has deemed his ball as lost( anyone remember this??) only to be told that a ''paying outside agency' finds it so guess what?sorry P.M.your "call" has been revoked.do not pass go, .......Cheers Flash

A lost ball is not a matter of integrity, but of fact.