You Make the Call

Imagine that you are playing in a golf tournament and have just played one of the best rounds of your life. Now imagine that the next day you receive a phone call informing you that someone was watching the tournament from their backyard and spotted you committing an infraction. This person called the tournament officials and reported the infraction which ultimately causes you to be disqualified from the tournament.

Sound ridiculous? Well this is essentially what the Professional Golf Association (PGA) allows from its viewers.

It happened this past weekend at the most prestigious golf tournament in the world --- The Masters. Tiger Woods was penalized two strokes Saturday after a rules committee deemed he violated one of golf's ball-drop rules during Friday's play. None of the tournament officials noticed the infraction nor did the two golfers in the group playing with Woods. "After being prompted by a television viewer, the Rules Committee reviewed a video of the shot (after the drop) while he was playing the 18th hole," Fred Ridley, the Augusta National Golf Club's competition committee chairman, said in a written statement. So why would the PGA allow a random viewer call a penalty on a professional golfer?

PGA golfer Bubba Watson said TV viewers shouldn't be able to affect how players make rule decisions. "So when somebody calls in like that, yeah, it shouldn't be that way, it shouldn't be allowed," Watson said. "Nobody calls in during a basketball game or a football game."   Watson has a point; none of the NBA, MLB, NHL, or NFL would dream of allowing a fan call in to report a penalty during a game or even after the game is over.

Should viewers be allowed to call penalties on pro athletes during competition? You make the call.