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Tiger Woods Get's Caught Cheating!

By: Jeff Lesson

Tiger Woods just became the first PGA Tour player to get caught cheating-off AND on the course.

At the recent Dubai Classic-a European Tour event with a weak field-both Rory McElroy and Tiger Woods failed to make the cut.

This was after the tournament paid each player millions of dollars just to show up! How did that work out for the tournament organizers?

Tiger actually would have made the cut if he had either 1) known the rules of golf or 2) really cared to stick around for the weekend.

Early in his second round, Tiger hit his tee shot into the bushes. He located his ball and asked his playing companion, Martin Kaymer, to see if he agreed that his ball was embedded and thus allowed Tiger to have a free drop.

Kaymer agreed and Tiger took his free drop-ended up with a bogey on the hole- and they played on. He did this without consulting a rules official.

A few minutes later Tiger was notified by a European Tour official that he was not allowed a free drop and was thus penalized two strokes. Those two strokes ended up causing Tiger to miss the cut.

Does anyone really think if Tiger were playing in a PGA Tour event that he would even think of taking a free drop without asking a rules official first? That is assuming Tiger- a 17 year PGA Tour veteran- really didn't know the rule himself?

Tiger picked up his ball and took a free drop as if he was playing in a casual Sunday game with his buddies. It did not even appear as if he marked the spot to drop it with a tee or measured the appropriate club length away.

The point is, to Tiger Woods, this was probably nothing more than a casual Sunday game with his buddies. He knew he was getting his reported $3,000,000.00 appearance fee whether he made the cut or not.

Thus once Tiger realized he was likely not going to contend for a victory, is it possible he may not have had the same motivation to want to stick around for the weekend?

Perhaps that explains why he didn't even seem that upset in a post round interview. When he is upset after a subpar round of golf, it is often surprising to see him talk to the media at all.

When will Tiger win another Major? Cute.

When will he break the Jack Nicklaus record of 18 majors? Puhleez.

For those of you keeping score at home it has been almost five years since one Eldrick "Tiger" Woods has won any Major Championship.

Don't hold your breath waiting for the next.

"Lesson On Golf" returns for its 17th season Saturday March 9th on 97.1 The Ticket!

Follow Jeff Lesson on Twitter: @jefflesson

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