After winning another Bridgestone Invitational, world champion Tiger Woods will be fined by the PGA Tour for his blame on a tour chief referee, an official spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday. Woods won his seventh Bridgestone Invitational after Padraig Harrington racked up a treble-bogey eight in the final round at Firestone Country Club.
European Tour chief referee John Paramor told Woods and Harrington to speed up play on the long par five. He told Woods and Harrington they were being timed.
Woods said he told Harrington after it was over, "I'm sorry that John got in the way of a great battle."
Bubba Watson (L), Tiger Woods (C) and Nick Watney, all of the U.S., share a laugh as they walk on the 11th fairway during a practice round for the 2009 PGA Championship golf tournament at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, August 10, 2009
Woods also said that he did not think that Harrington would have hit the pitch shot that way if he was able to take his time, look at it, analyze it, but he was on the clock, had to get up there quickly and hit it.
Harrington conceded he was rushed, although he said it would be unfair to give the final group preferential treatment.
The PGA Tour's player handbook says, "It is an obligation of membership to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage tournaments, sponsors, fellow members, players of PGA Tour."