Not blaming Aerategate (how clever of me!) on anyone, certainly not Tommy. He made a mistake, according to the rules. I agree. Aeration is necessary for health of greens, but rotten for putting even at my nine-hole muni where the stakes are only a Coke or a brewski.
Tommy did the only honorable thing he could do by ratting himself out.
The big question is why a course would aerate greens so close to a major event like a U.S. Open local qualifier. Couldn't it have waited until after?
Just wondering.