Quote:
Originally Posted by Marathon Man
PGA officials have been using replay to call penalties for a couple of years now. It is simply a matter of the replay providing information that the on site official did not have at the time of the original call. Secondly, no one called him a liar. They simply did not agree with his assessment that nothing he did could have caused the ball to move. I am on the side that his final grounding of the club beside the ball caused the movement - or more likely his lifting of the club in a slightly backward motion move the grass just enough. Contact with the ball is not required to cause movement.
It is a shame that this was handled so poorly. The call should have been made as soon as the replay was reviewed, rather than creating a dark cloud.
Never the less, it was great to see him finally win.
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The difference, to me, is that the PGA Tour uses video to see if a violation occurred when informed after the fact that one may have occurred. In this case, the USGA had its rules expert {?} at the scene and got info from Dustin and Westwood and ruled no infraction had happened. That should be the end of it. Otherwise, why have an official walking with group?
Also, there was the other player who actually placed his putter behind the ball and it shifted to the side slightly. That was ruled as no violation. Why the different rationales?