Woods denies he has been fined

Tiger Woods has denied being fined by the PGA Tour for remarks he made about a tournament official at last Sunday's World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

Reports in the United States suggested the world number one had been punished for his criticism of European Tour chief referee John Paramor, who put him and Padraig Harrington on the clock for slow play at the 16th tee in the last group of their final round showdown at Firestone Country Club in Ohio.

Dubliner Harrington, who had been leading Woods by a stroke as the players arrived at the 16th tee, said he had rushed subsequent shots on that hole which he triple bogeyed having found greenside water while his rival birdied and went on to win by four shots.

Harrington played down the ruling on Sunday but Woods accused Paramor of getting 'in the way of a great battle' and the controversy continued into a third day at Hazeltine National as both players faced the press again ahead of Thursday's opening round of the US PGA Championship.

'I've heard from the Tour and there was no fine. That was an erroneous report,' Woods began on Tuesday.

'The way I understood it, we were the only two in contention to win the event. We had separated ourselves. The winner was not going to come from the groups ahead, even though Robert (Allenby) played just a great round ahead of us.

'It was going to come from our group and we were having a great battle. I just thought that even after Paddy had pitched the ball in the water, he then walked all around the lake, taking the drop, hit his shot over the green and pitched back up, we got on the 17th tee, hit our shots down the fairway and as we were arriving at the ball, the group ahead of us was now entering the 18th fairway.

'So we were not that far behind, maybe five minutes or whatever it may be from the group ahead of us. If Paddy does not hit the ball in the water, we play up, we are right behind the group in front of us.

'So that's why I said what I said, because that certainly affected how Paddy played the hole, and the outcome of the tournament. He was in control of the event. He was one up with three holes to go and he had a par five.

'And you know, when we were put on the clock, it certainly changed everything.'

Harrington, defending the US PGA Championship title in Minnesota this week, once again chose to take the blame for his troubles on the 16th hole last Sunday as he faced the media ahead of Woods.

'You know, we were having a great battle,' Harrington said.

'I was enjoying it. I believe he was enjoying it. I think we were both putting up to each other, and that was a good thing. I reacted poorly to the situation, and that's my own fault. It's part of the rules that these things are going to happen. It would have been probably better if it happened earlier in the round.

'Ultimately, the two of us getting into trouble on 14 pushed us over the edge, which was unfortunate that we both played the hole poorly at the same time.'

The world number 10 also said he preferred to let Woods take up the issue.

'As regards what (Woods) said, you know, I think it's easier for having won the tournament, he can take the moral high ground and say what he wants,' he said.

'Having lost the tournament, I'm going to sit back and just, you know, there's not much; I'm going to take it on the chin and say it was my mistake.

'He's in a good position that when you've won the tournament, you can, well, what could I say? I suppose that's best left said to him. As I said, he's in a better position to say it.'