Phil Mickelson - Strategic or Unethical?

[Buckley99]

Those watching the US Open likely saw Phil putt a moving ball, as it was rolling off the green (he was penalized 2 strokes). When asked about it, he said it was a strategic decision. Assuming it was a conscious decision, what are your thoughts?

Was Phil wrong or did he simply use the rules to his (perceived) advantage?

Do you believe that we are called to follow the letter of the law/rule or the spirit of the law/rule?

[oktx]

In protest would be my guess. If it was that big of deal it would be more the a 2 stroke penalty.

[Bruiser]

i took him at his word

[Kmart49]

I think her purposefully used the rules to his advantage and he admitted to it in an interview shortly after his round. He stated he understood the rules and knew it would just be a 2 shot penalty and that he didn't want to go back down and play the shot from off the green again.

I'd be ticked if we were playing for money at the country club let alone playing for the US Open and a 12 million dollar purse.

[Buckley99]

To clarify, I’m not debating whether or not it was frustration or a strategic decision. I’m asking, if it was strategic, was he in the right to do it (knowing it would cost him two strokes) or should he have followed the spirit of the rule?

[Pedernal]

Not watching so hard to say. I do find it hard to imagine that a pro golfer would intentionally take a 2 shot penalty to hit a ball that is already on the green. Maybe if the ball was potentially going to roll in the water.

What did he stand to gain by hitting a moving ball versus waiting for it to stop moving??

[oktx]

Players use the rules to their advantage all the time. ie player has a decent lie near a path but his heel is touching the path. They get full relief from the path and where they drop is a great lie. 99% of the time they take the drop if it improves their lie.

[Kmart49]

Not watching so hard to say. I do find it hard to imagine that a pro golfer would intentionally take a 2 shot penalty to hit a ball that is already on the green. Maybe if the ball was potentially going to roll in the water.

What did he stand to gain by hitting a moving ball versus waiting for it to stop moving??

He prevented the ball from rolling off the green and well down the hill where he had previously played from twice.

[Buckley99]

Not watching so hard to say. I do find it hard to imagine that a pro golfer would intentionally take a 2 shot penalty to hit a ball that is already on the green. Maybe if the ball was potentially going to roll in the water.

What did he stand to gain by hitting a moving ball versus waiting for it to stop moving??

It was going to roll way off the green and would have made for a very difficult shot back to the hole.

[oktx]

Not watching so hard to say. I do find it hard to imagine that a pro golfer would intentionally take a 2 shot penalty to hit a ball that is already on the green. Maybe if the ball was potentially going to roll in the water.

What did he stand to gain by hitting a moving ball versus waiting for it to stop moving??

I believe it was going to roll off the green.

[Pedernal]

He prevented the ball from rolling off the green and well down the hill where he had previously played from twice.

It was going to roll way off the green and would have made for a very difficult shot back to the hole.

I believe it was going to roll off the green.

A golfer with his short game takes a two stroke penalty so he does not have to hit it from off the green?? Doesn't make sense to me but again I am not watching.

[Hoss163]

It was probably more out of frustration than anything is my guess he New he was out of contention anyway. So I don’t think it was strategy

[oktx]

A golfer with his short game takes a two stroke penalty so he does not have to hit it from off the green?? Doesn't make sense to me but again I am not watching.

Back to what I was saying. I think he is upset with the setup of the course and simply had enough of it.

[flywise]

It simply showed that even the best players in the world get ticked off from time to time

[Hoss163]

You wouldn’t think a pro golfer would do something like that though. Us weekend hacker heck yeah gotta get back to the cart to get another beer lol !