Tiger has his driver tested at Mercedes
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By Doug Ferguson
Associated Press
KAPALUA, Maui — Tiger Woods was the first player to openly question whether all drivers on the PGA Tour conformed to USGA standards.
It was only fitting that he was the first player to have his club inspected at the Mercedes Championships.
As promised, the PGA Tour rolled out a new device that measures the trampoline effect (coefficient of restitution) in drivers to make sure they don't exceed the limit.
The test is voluntary, and the tour won't say which players have submitted their drivers for testing.
"I don't know if it's going to make a difference, but at least we have testing implemented," Woods said. "In the future, it might change. But this is a nice, positive step in the right direction."
Woods and Jim Furyk are among those who felt the test should have been mandatory. Woods said last summer he believed some players were using "hot drivers," which exceeded the USGA limit for COR (0.83).
"I don't believe people are out there knowing that they're getting away with something — or if you want to call it cheating," Furyk said. "I don't think that's the case. But if there is a person or two out there, we're not going to catch them, anyway."
The tour explained the process in a one-page handout left in every player's locker at Kapalua.
• Players are encouraged to have their drivers tested, and only players and their caddies can submit the club.
• If anyone questions another player's driver, it must be tested.
• The testing takes place in the rules office, out of public view, during tournament hours.
• The "pendulum tester" only reveals whether a club passes or fails. It does not show how close to the limit a driver might be, to prevent players from bringing several clubs so they can choose the hottest one.
Vijay Singh had his driver tested by the company that made it — "They said it's normal, it's perfect" he said — and he believes that's where the responsibility should lie.
"We use their equipment," Singh said. "If there's something wrong with the equipment, I think it's the manufacturer's fault, not the player's fault. They should make sure the clubs they give us are legal."
If a player uses a driver that is over the limit, he would be disqualified.
