Dyson ruling: harsh, lenient or about right?

Yesterday Simon Dyson was handed an 18 month suspended sentence and £30'000 fine by the European Tour for purposely infringing Rule 16-1a (tapping down a spike mark)

Too harsh, too lenient or about right?

Full European Tour statement:

http://www.golfshake.com/news/view/6559/Dyson_receives_suspended_sentence_and_fine_from_European_Tour.html

Ridiculously harsh. He wasn't trying to obtain an advantage in my eyes. Yes it broke the rules, but the standard penalty should have applied. Maybe in that instant he thought the spike mark was not directly on his line. At least that's the argument he perhaps should have put forward. Why have they gone over the top on this one? I don't know that he had a particularly bad track record in this regard. I suspect not....

Absolutely ridiculous. It's not like he deliberately dropped a ball a couple of yards behind his original to play the same shot, otherwise he'd have got away with a 2 stroke penalty.

I personally think the rule itself is a bit of a joke. However listening to dennis pugh and mark roe on sky, they think without doubt that it is a serious cheating offence and he will have a hard time when he returns on the tour. A cheats a cheats a cheat. but as we know there are some silly rules in golf. I have known fellow players tap down a bump or smooth a blade od grass on the line of the putt. I havent pulled them on the infringement. Will alot of people start addressing this error, even in social play? Dave CAC handed Geordie

Take a close look at the video.

1. He approaches the ball from the side, and taps the spike mark to his left side. - forgivable?

2. As he walks away he looks back as though something has been said or he has realised something may be amiss. - NOT FORGIVABLE.

So not doing something at that point is the problem in my eyes and the punishment fits what I think I saw.

Dave Patrick, having seen other players break the rules and doing nothing about it, it is quite honest of you to mention it here ... unfortunately by not mentioning it you are not helping anybody as your fellows players may not be aware of their breach and it is your responsibility to uphold the rules for the rest of the field playing.

Like Dave P I also think it is a silly rule and forgive me for my ignorance but why shouldn't you tap down/remove from something visible in your line? Was the rule created in order that play would not be slowed down? (ie everyone trying to get a snooker table smooth line). If I was in a matchplay situation I certainly would not pull anyone up for this. Really, the non golfing world must be pissing themselves.