We all know the questionable decision by the course official to put both Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods on the clock during the last few holes, of the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational. We all know what happened after that clock was put into effect, Tiger hit a breathtaking shot into the green, Padraig, who was leading at the time, didn’t. His rushed play on that hole ended up as a triple bogey and effectively gave the tournament away to Tiger Woods, who then notched his 70th victory on the PGA Tour.
Tiger Gets Vocal
What you might not have heard, was that in a press conference after the event Tiger Woods, who is usually quite diplomatic and polite after events, was quite vocal and even called out, by name, the official who put them on the clock and rushed them both. The decision, he believed, changed everything in the tournament, and here’s what Tiger Woods had to say about the clock decision:
“[W]e were the only two in contention to win the event…We had separated ourselves. The winner… was going to come from our group, and we were having a great battle. That’s why I said what I said, because that certainly affected how Paddy played the hole. He was one up with three holes to go, and we were put on the clock. It certainly changed everything.”
No Fine for Tiger Woods
After these statements, reports surfaced that Tiger Woods might be facing a fine for his comments, as there is a section in the PGA Tour Handbook that basically says there is “an obligation of membership to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage tournaments, sponsors, fellow members, players or PGA Tour.” Thankfully, those reports were false and Tiger is not going to be fined for his opinion.
Padraig Blames Himself
Regardless of what Tiger thought, Padraig refused to blame anyone but himself for his play and his reaction to the official’s decision. It’s interesting to see Tiger fighting harder for Padraig than Padraig fighting for himself. Nevertheless, no fine, no foul and tomorrow we start the PGA Championships…we can’t wait.
(image Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
