European Tour executive director George O’Grady has sympathy with Tiger Woods having cameras follow his every move but agreed with the “outrage” in Europe over the golfing superstar’s spitting incident in the Dubai Desert Classic last week.
In Edinburgh this week, O’Grady backed the decision of European Tour administrators to fine Woods and do so publicly after Sky Sports TV cameras filmed him spitting while lining up a putt on the 12th green during the final round in Dubai, but added that Woods’ public acceptance of the disciplinary measure meant that matter was “dealt with and over with.”
The executive director of the tour said he noted the different perceptions to the incident between Europe and the USA but that he shared the disapproval of most of the views to the tour from this side of the Atlantic.
“We were inundated with emails after the decision, and I think everyone from this side of the Atlantic agreed with our actions, while the view from America is that many clearly think we’ve made a storm in a teacup,” he said.
“It’s an example of a different culture. In this part of the world golf is different, there was genuine outrage about it, especially as it was on a putting green and someone may have to putt over that.
“It was also frowned upon in the Gulf States and one thing we always stress to our members is to adapt to the culture of our various hosts across the world, to learn and respect their customs.
“In the US there’s generally not the same feeling about spitting. I think everyone disapproves of spitting on a putting green, but it’s not frowned upon in the same way.”
O’Grady did have sympathy that Woods, as still the world’s most famous golfer, was under suffocating scrutiny.Pressure”The pressure being the world’s most famous player is everything,” he continued.
“I read somewhere that every single shot he has hit since he started to win in the professional game has been covered by TV, not all of it is shown, but there is film of his every move.
“Even before he’s got the letter about this incident from our tournament administrator Mike Stewart, people have got microphones in Mike’s face, saying have you seen it, what are you going to do about it, and so Tiger knows from that he’s going to be fined.
“He’s given his reaction in the same sort of way on Twitter. He accepts he broke the rule and accepts the fine, so it’s dealt with and over with.”
The European Tour do not usually divulge disciplinary measures of this sort and the most prominent case of spitting on the circuit was when Henrik Stenson spat after missing a putt at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and it featured on TV, causing a flurry of complaints from viewers and resulting in a fine, although O’Grady would not confirm that case.
“We do not divulge names in previous cases but there was no way Mike Stewart could not do it on this occasion because the comments of the Sky Sports commentators to the UK viewership were so strong.”
The executive director did, however, indicate clearly that TV evidence used against players for inadvertent breaches of the rules would be addressed in the light of high-profile cases against Padraig Harrington in Europe and Camilo Villegas in the USA in the early part of this season.
The twice-Open champion was spotted by a TV viewer minutely disturbing his ball in the act of marking it at the Abu Dhabi Championship while Villegas was seen flicking a patch of grass with his club at the Hyundai Championship on the US Tour.
Their actions merited two-shot penalties but as they were only revealed after the players had long completed their rounds, they were both summarily disqualified for signing incorrect scorecards.
“I think if you break a rule there’s obviously nothing wrong with a penalty, but if the TV cameras spot something unintentional and a player’s signed his scorecard…I don’t think the rule was written with this in mind,” said O’Grady.
“There’s been some discussion with (US Tour commissioner) Tim Finchem and myself, as well as both the R&A and USGA and I think you’ll find a change coming very soon.”