In assessing Tiger Woods a two-stroke penalty (for breach of Rule 26-1) rather than a DQ for signing an incorrect score card, did Masters tournament officials correctly invoke their right to waive a DQ penalty on the four-time Masters champion? Read the text of the official statement delivered by Fred Ridley, the chair of the competition committee:
“Yesterday afternoon, the Rules Committee was made aware of a possible Rules violation that involved a drop by Tiger Woods on the 15th hole.
“In preparation for his fifth shot, the player dropped his ball in close proximity to where he had played his third shot in apparent conformance with Rule 26. After being prompted by a television viewer, the Rules Committee reviewed a video of the shot while he was playing the 18th hole. At that moment and based on that evidence, the Committee determined he had complied with the Rules.
“After he signed his scorecard, and in a television interview subsequent to the round, the player stated that he played further from the point than where he had played his third shot. Such action would constitute playing from the wrong place.
“The subsequent information provided by the player’s interview after he had completed play warranted further review and discussion with him this morning. After meeting with the player, it was determined that he had violated Rule 26, and he was assessed a two stroke penalty. The penalty of disqualification was waived by the Committee under Rule 33 as the Committee had previously reviewed the information and made its initial determination prior to the finish of the player’s round.”
To sum it up, the committee reviewed the player’s actions at 15 and determined no rules breach. After hearing Tiger’s post-round comments, and meeting with him this morning, the committee changes its mind and determines a breach has occurred.
Would not a simple question at the scorer’s table, before he signed his card, been in order?
In light of Tiger’s statement after the second round, where he said that he put a new ball in play about two yards from the spot where he played his previous shot [to tweak his yardage to the hole], do you think waiving the DQ penalty was the right call?
Read Decision 33-7/4.5.
Editor’s note: The Masters’ competitions committee invoked Rule 33-7 in their action to waive the penalty of disqualification (not Decision 33-7/4.5).