How would you like to be David Toms today?

[Jason Topp]

Regardless of the technicalities of the relevant rules, the impact of Tiger finishing the tournament and posting a score was that it caused Ernie Els, David Toms, Dustin Johnson and Fred Couples to finish in a tie for 13th instead of 12th.  

The top 12 and ties are exempt into next years' tournament.  

The issue does not matter for Couples because he is a former champion.  I suspect Dustin Johnson will have no problem getting in next year.  

How would you like to be Ernie David Toms and miss out on an invitation because of this mess?

[Brent Hutto]

If you pose that question to Ernie Els I suspect his response is something like, "I should have scored a couple strokes better and it wouldn't have mattered".

[Sean Leary]

.

[Jason Topp]

Isn't he is for a couple of years because of his Open Championship win last year?

Good point.  I will change it to David Toms.

[Jason Topp]

If you pose that question to Ernie Els I suspect his response is something like, "I should have scored a couple strokes better and it wouldn't have mattered".

Obviously this is mooted but still applies to Toms (I think).  I also suspect that he would make such a statement in public.  In private, I would be upset if I were him.

[archie_struthers]

  

Decision made , Tiger played hard didn't alibi , remember Arnie once got a drop away from a bridge in a hazard . If Tiger wasn't a polarizing figure , this would have died . Lets let it go !

[Dan_Callahan]

He's going home to this. So in answer to your question, I would love to be David Toms today.

[David_Tepper]

Jason -

My guess is David Toms is less bothered about it than you seem to be.

DT

[Tim Martin]

He's going home to this. So in answer to your question, I would love to be David Toms today.

She reminds me a little of Stephanie Seymour. Strong

[Howard Riefs]

The issue does not matter for Couples because he is a former champion.  I suspect Dustin Johnson will have no problem getting in next year.  

How would you like to be Ernie David Toms and miss out on an invitation because of this mess?

Ernie is also a moot point as he won the Open Championship last year and has an invite for five years.

[Jason Topp]

Jason -

My guess is David Toms is less bothered about it than you seem to be.

DT

David:  Maybe.  I am bothered by the idea that someone could take an incorrect drop, sign an incorrect scorecard and then be exonerated.  If he had consulted with the committee and gotten an explicit ruling that the drop was ok I would be ok with the outcome but that is not what happened here. 

Dan - good point.   

[Phil McDade]

Jason -

My guess is David Toms is less bothered about it than you seem to be.

DT

David:  Maybe.  I am bothered by the idea that someone could take an incorrect drop, sign an incorrect scorecard and then be exonerated.  If he had consulted with the committee and gotten an explicit ruling that the drop was ok I would be ok with the outcome but that is not what happened here. 

Dan - good point.   

Jason:

I made what I thought was a somewhat similar point about Casey Martin qualifying for the US Open last year -- under different conditions than any other golfer trying to qualify for the US Open -- and got raked over the coals here.

[Garland Bayley]

Isn't the question really about how should Tiger Woods feel now that he has been aced out of 3rd by an incorrect ruling as shown by the photo proof that the second shot was mere inches from the first.

[Terry Lavin]

This can be taken in any number of different directions.  As Garland suggested, one could view Tiger as more of a victim here.  He took an 8 when he could have easily gotten a 4, if the ball had not hit the flagstick.  One could also argue that he was victimized by the process where he got a two shot penalty that he was not deserving of.  Or you can argue that Toms and Els got hosed by a guy who should have been DQ'd, which is the Topper of them all.

I'll just go with what Tiger did: he accepted the judgment of the committee and tried to keep plugging away, not concentrating on his potential victimhood.  If he doesn't think he was victimized, I'm sure that Els and Toms would never feel like they got abused here. 

In other words, MOVE ON.

[Steve Okula]

David Toms share of 13th place prize money was $145,600, so he could afford to take his lovely wife out someplace nice for dinner as well.

I could think of nearly 6 billion people in this world who are worse off than Toms.

[Thomas Dai]

I hope David Toms ain't too unhappy about this, and he certainly played a cracking final round.

But.......what happens if the guy who missed out because Tiger was allowed to continue is stone broke and has big debts? I suggest that unless some arrangement is made quietly behind the scenes then one day someone's gonna call in the ambulance chasers.

As illustrations from other sports, motor races cases have ended up being settled on appeal or in court etc and a couple of years ago West Ham had to pay Sunderland something like circa £15m-£20m when West Ham played an a ineligible player and managed to stay in the Premier League while Sunderland were relegated.

A great big can for worms has been opened this week in Augusta.

All the best

[Bill Seitz]

I hope David Toms ain't too unhappy about this, and he certainly played a cracking final round.

But.......what happens if the guy who missed out because Tiger was allowed to continue is stone broke and has big debts? I suggest that unless some arrangement is made quietly behind the scenes then one day someone's gonna call in the ambulance chasers.

The 200th player on last year's money list still made $218,000 from his PGA Tour earnings alone.  That's 200th.  200th doesn't get you into the Masters, but it's still plenty of money to live on without being flat broke or in huge debt.  Something tells me that every professional player in the Masters field makes more than enough money to live a very comfortable life, and if they've squandered all of that such that they're in major debt and/or flat broke, they've got bigger things to worry about than whether Tiger was allowed to continue playing this weekend. 

[Will MacEwen]

I hope David Toms ain't too unhappy about this, and he certainly played a cracking final round.

But.......what happens if the guy who missed out because Tiger was allowed to continue is stone broke and has big debts? I suggest that unless some arrangement is made quietly behind the scenes then one day someone's gonna call in the ambulance chasers.

As illustrations from other sports, motor races cases have ended up being settled on appeal or in court etc and a couple of years ago West Ham had to pay Sunderland something like circa £15m-£20m when West Ham played an a ineligible player and managed to stay in the Premier League while Sunderland were relegated.

A great big can for worms has been opened this week in Augusta.

All the best

Would Tiger have getting DQed have actually brought another player into the field?

[Brent Hutto]

I hope David Toms ain't too unhappy about this, and he certainly played a cracking final round.

But.......what happens if the guy who missed out because Tiger was allowed to continue is stone broke and has big debts? I suggest that unless some arrangement is made quietly behind the scenes then one day someone's gonna call in the ambulance chasers.

As illustrations from other sports, motor races cases have ended up being settled on appeal or in court etc and a couple of years ago West Ham had to pay Sunderland something like circa £15m-£20m when West Ham played an a ineligible player and managed to stay in the Premier League while Sunderland were relegated.

A great big can for worms has been opened this week in Augusta.

All the best

Would Tiger have getting DQed have actually brought another player into the field?

No, of course it would not.

[David_Tepper]

"A great big can for worms has been opened this week in Augusta."

Sorry, not even a very small tin of sardines!

[Keith Phillips]

I was a 'hater' during his glory days, but am now cheering for Tiger - I'm in the camp that says he got hosed on 15, taking an 8 where a 4 or 5 could be expected - I understand 'rub of the green' and appreciate all the rules/committee issues etc, but the bottom line is Tiger was allowed to keep playing, and he respectfully moved forward and fought the good fight.  I am thrilled Adam Scott has the monkey off his back, but expect Tiger is more likely to be +20 majors than to win no more.