You know, easy way to avoid fan interference and to really take away some bomb and gouge approach: Make all roped off areas OB. No need to get rid of U grooves then. Obviously would have take some care in choosing what areas need to be roped off.

Fred Funk would rule the PGA!

Generally this tinfoil hat type of stuff is annoying, but even the biggest Tiger lovers have to allow it was strange. It would have helped had the camera tracked the ball into that area but it didn't pick it up. Then followed a long break, then it came bounding out backwards at a high rate of speed.

Until now I had never heard the article about the cart path and the tree. That makes sense. I mean it makes more sense than a guy picking it up and chucking it, because I can't believe someone nearby wouldn't have noticed this.

Suffice it to say it was almost certainly a good break, not a bad one. Much like on the previous hole when he punched it out from way right of the fairway and it also hit a cart path and went to a collection area over the green, whereas if it was about two feet farther it would have caught the heavy rough and probably ended up well short of the green.

No doubt it looked incredibly strange, but there is no other camera angle. Since there has been nobody come out in the last 8 years to claim anything different, we have to take the stance innocent until proven guilty.

BO

I think it is still okay to occasionally imply otherwise if it will get a rise out of Butcho.

I don't know what happened, but I thought it was pretty weak that there was never a better shot of the area aired in that broadcast (i.e. looking at the area in the direction the ball was originally rolling) so we could have gotten a better idea what is there. Who knows, there could have been a rock off the path it ricocheted off.

Does Tiger Woods need apologists?

Bump.

I just watched the 2000 US Open playoffs on the greatest rounds on Golf Ch. Tiger's drive on the third hole of the playoff on 18 did something so strange I watched it on 1/15th time on my DVR.

After it lands in a medium sized shrub/tree, the ball doesn't move for seconds. After a fan runs into the area it is launched back towards the tee into a playable lie.

I understand Tiger didn't move the ball but watching the fan run into the area then chase after the moving ball is v strange. The speed at which the ball comes out of the bush does not suggest a ball tricking back down a hill.

I don't see any officials anywhere the scene, and the only one who seemed to pick up where the ball landed is the fan who ran into the bush, was out of camera view for a few seconds, then ran after the ball as it flew down the cart path towards the tee box.

AGREE

BOTY by the way.

Heh. After watching the shot I was curious so I did a google search and this thread popped up.

I tried to check the links posted earlier about the rules official but it isn't working anymore. Either way it didn't hit a tree.


BTW Bob May had huge juevos that tournament and esp on Sunday. Three straight 66's to close it out, and tied for US open lowest under par finish ever (to Tiger who he went into playoff).

ya..dude ran in there at full speed found ball picked it up and threw out in 2 secs without breaking stride.....

+1

Very obvious.

Someone needs to make a YouTube video where they analyze the spot that the ball disappeared and come up with some theories on what happened.

I don't know, I could easily believe that the ball rolled up the cart path on the hill (hill was stated by broadcaster) then gained momentum as it rolled back down the hill on the cart path or perhaps hit a curb on the path.

I agree it looked suspicious but there was 8-10 other people in that general area that saw whatever did happen and if someone kicked his ball or threw it back I would have to believe 1 out of those people would speak up or find rules official and explain what happened. When I watched the video you can see the heads of people turn as they follow the ball and none of them seem to react like someone grabbed/threw/kicked his ball.

That's just my 2 cents....but it did look so suspicious on the replay obv because of camera angle

Seriously, I'm surprised that nobody has gone Oliver Stone JFK on that shot and attempted to recreate the series of events to explain how it ended up where it did. I'm not upset nor necessarily think it was fan hijinks, but it was incredibly lucky regardless and almost certainly saved him a shot if not two.

Maybe there was a fan hidden behind a grassy knoll who kicked the ball?

starts at 10:20

Watch the marshal on the left. Looks as though hes pointing to a place where the ball hit and then follows the ball backwards. Doesn't look like anything shady at all to me. You can see people running towards where the ball ends up before the guy "disappears behind bush"

You can't see the ball in that video, you need to be able to see it to see how long it's not moving before it picks up speed again.

look at the hill at 13:44 in that vid. That's where the ball came from. I can totally imagine the ball coming off that hill some and rolling very easily through the hardpan/cartpath area to end up where it did.

I have always thought someone kicked it, but upon inspection, looks legit. Consider my opinion changed.

Thanks for the bump =P

cmon. kid runs in(very little sense of depth in vid btw..just a bush to obscure things) and he comes out running..anyone really think he was able to stop/find ball/move it/ keep running--with noone else seeing? more likely--video doesn't show the distance he covered behind bush while running.

This ldo. Literally everyone is looking for/at the ball and the first hand accounts of a kid picking up and throwing the ball would have immediately flooded the media.

So it hit a tree and rolled backwards down the cart path. I don't understand the controversy. Tiger did have a two shot lead at this point. Could have played a lost ball and still won.

Tiger had a one shot lead (he never led by two in the playoff; his birdie on the first playoff hole was the only difference in their scores). Not disagreeing with the sentiment that the conspiracy theory is a reach but just wanted to clarify that point.