Thetownend.com

Away from the damp squib that is the closing couple of months of our season, it's at least time for the best week in the Golfing year.

Masters sunday is always one of my favourite days to watch sport and it looks like it should be a cracker this year with a lot of top players in form.

Will be bravely backing against Woods having put a wedge on Mickelson who could probably get a top 10 here in his sleep. Fancy McDowell to do well this year as well and have a few quid each way on Stenson and Freddy Jacobsen.

Tiger to win. Rose to finish top Brit. Love the masters!

That's weird I've done both of those.

Woods 4/1 e/w, quarter odds first 6 with Paddy Power, is a bet to nothing. He's back. Also done Rose as top Englishman 13/8.

Best sporting event in the world bar the Ashes.

This will be won by an American

Bets done are Kuchar 35/1, Snedeker 40/1, Watney 66/1 & American Winner @ Evns

Can't see past Woods myself (or the woods for the trees before anyone else says it)

Molinari is a  massive price if he putts well.

Big IF though Lee. Might be worth a cheeky e/w quid or two.

Agreed...very big if.

I'm backing Sergio this year (actually I do every year). Got to happen sometime.

Amazing how you remembered to mention it just as he walked off with a 66...

 14at yer old Chinese lad was just given a 1 stroke penalty for slow play. Probably will be the difference between him making the cut or not. Golf really is ran by a bunch of massive cunts.

He had warnings about slow play, he didn't listen.  Every golfer knows the rules and if broken they should get punished accordingly whether they are 14 or 54

Come on...he only has small legs.

Very True, however do you actually believe they would give Tiger Woods a one shot penalty which would probably cause him to miss the cut?

Initially feeling on that was no they wouldn't penalise Woods.

Upon further thought however i think they would, officials never let anything go

Except that they have just mentioned on sky that the US PGA tour haven't before penalised any player for slow play.

That surprises me

If I remember there was a penalty on the LPGA last year, but I couldn't remember one on the Men's tour.

Woods is going to smoke this back 9.  Could all be over bar the shouting by close tonight.

Just lumped £100 on at 11/8

The masters is not over after two rounds,three even. So much can happen which is why it is such a great tournament

That looked like a spectator just threw Rickie Fowlers ball back towards the fairway after he sliced it into the crowd.

Brave statement, saved for prosperity

This is Augusta you know ?

Woods on the cusp of being chucked out...

How so?

Surprise, surprise - they're not throwing Woods out despite him signing an incorrect score card. Getting a 2 stroke penalty. Making themselves look twats after penalising the kid.

For those that missed it.... Woods landed in the water. Had a choice of drop options. Went for where he played the shot from originally. In which case the rules say you have to drop as close as possible. He didn't, admitting he dropped two yards back to help with the shot. So there should been an one stroke penalty for the drop. He signed the score card without the extra penalty. So an incorrect score card filed.

Jesus it's like as soon as that hundred quid was placed the golfing Gods got to work.  Funny as you like. It's not even as if it was great odds either.

Not all lost yet.  Bar Bubba all my other E/W all in with decent shouts.  Bubbling up nicely.  Should be a cracking last 2 days.

So is Tigers tee time now going to be revised?

No, same tee time as before.

He has to be disqualified surely, presuming he signed for the wrong score.

As was pointed out yesterday when the young kid got penalised for slow play, that's the rules.
Unless of course you are talking about the biggest draw for TV audiences in America, then the rules can be bent a little.

Not Woods' fault, but it shows the inequalities in golf in the US.

Retrospective action in sport is ridiculous. They missed it so that should be it. Perhaps with the exception of causing someone physical harm.

Anyone who wants retrospective sanctions is a moron.

If woods knowingly cheated then he should have been disqualified

I think Woods knowingly didn't follow the rules.

I've had my head in the sand so to speak today. Plenty of shit going down it seems

Bullshit. Why would he come out and say it if so?

Amazing that Woods doesn't happen to know the one rule he happened to break. If he had an ounce of integrity he'd have 'walked'.

loved it when Angel Cabrera pipped Woods and Furyk to win the US Open a few years back; might not have been the Iron Lady's choice, mind

I've never played golf in my life and ain't that big a fan. But even I know when you take a drop it has to be in the same place, you're not allowed to move it for an advantage and if you're not sure you ask an official. Woods knew what he was doing and thought he'd get away with it.

With the world watching and officials and players with him then it would be stupid to cheat,even more stupid to get away with it  and then highlight it a day later. There are officials with every group. It's baffling me and I aint  seen the incident. 

I have no foundation to this but my take on it is Woods (like the majority of the media) is desperate to get back to his former glories. It used to take a whole tournament to say Woods is still no.1, now all it takes is a good 18 holes for the media to bring out the 'Tiger is back' bollocks and that's just over here. God knows what it's like over in the States.

Like I say I don't think he was cheating as such, but I do believe, again without any evidence whatsoever, that he knew he wasn't doing things by the letter of the law/rule book.

Take it away Dave.

Tiger was back before he even teed off this week. He's won four tournaments already this year.

Correct

He may have won some tournaments this year, but come on Tiger won't be back until he's won a couple of biggies.  Unless you think he'll be happy to continue winning non-major tournaments for the rest of his career?  We're talking Tiger Woods here, this isn't Sandy Lyle trying to get back to his best.

dunno what you're getting at here to be honest. He's won four this year which is cracking  form, and is in contention for the first major of the year. He said himself that he is only half way through his career. He is back and will win more majors if not this one. He is driven and wants the big ones.

My only bet still in with a shout is Kuchar... anyone got anything lucrative?

This could be a good day, also could be a big letdown

I'm hoping for an Adam Scott top 4 finish as it will claw back my bets for the weekend plus a bit extra.

Got him at 16/1.

From reading the papers this morning, someone who was watching the tele got in touch with Master officials, who, after looking at the pictures, said Tiger didn't do anything wrong...only for Tiger to admit he took the drop from the wrong spot. The officials only penalised him once he admitted it.

If anyone is at fault, is the officials who didn't penalise him in the first place. Considering just about every TW shot is covered and analysed, you would've though they would've spotted it in the first place.

Maybe the officaials are doing their bit in trying to help Tiger win for all the extra press coverage they would probably get.

I thought it was after Woods had said in his press conference he had gone back a couple if yards to get a better lie/yardage.

Up to that point they had concluded that he didn't drop it where he should, but hadn't gained any advantage.

I for one am happy there was no DQ for TW..have quite a sum on him at 1/3 to finish top 10..just hope he is patient tonight

Others had noticed the drop was in the wrong place and were talking about it and raising the issue - definitely some of the commentators (not sure from what channel though). Reckon more would have come of it even if he hadn't said what he did.

Plenty of other players have been disqualified for similar rule breaches having been reported by TV viewers, only difference is their name wasn't Tiger Woods.

I think the Masters committee were quite happily to cover it up...until Tiger mentioned the incident in an interview...where they were forced to act,and then gave him the lesser punishment.

Personally, I think he thought he could do what he did in the rules, and that is why he thought nothing of it, but as you say people have been disqulified in the past, though they did include this rule a few years ago. I think they'll rename it 'The Tiger Rule'.

Has basically taken until the last hole this year before this got exciting.

I'm knackerd but can't go to bed till it's over.

Some quality golf at the end there.

Superb.

Butch Harmon is the boy.

Lovely little PP account top up. Cheers Adam!

David Howell qualifies for the US Open golf in three weeks time.

There were 12 places up for grabs out of a field of 94 at Walton Heath today and he got through.

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/10446067.Howell_qualifies_for_US_Open/

Nice to see him slowly getting some form back.

Fair play to Khan as well after yesterday