AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods got a reprieve Saturday in the Masters when he was given a two-shot penalty for a bad drop but was not disqualified from the tournament.
Woods’ shot on the 15th hole of the second round hit the flag stick and bounced back into the water. He took his penalty drop two yards behind where he hit the original shot, which was a violation of the rules.
Augusta National Tournament committee added the two-shot penalty to his score, meaning he had a (1 over) 73 instead of a (1 under) 71 and now is five shots out of the lead. Officials said he was allowed to stay in the tournament under a new rule that keeps players from being disqualified based on television evidence
Tiger Woods commented this morning on twitter… “At hole #15, I took a drop that I thought was correct and in accordance with the rules,” Woods wrote. “I was unaware at that time I had violated any rules. I didn’t know I had taken an incorrect drop prior to signing my scorecard. Subsequently, I met with the Masters Committee Saturday morning… and was advised they had reviewed the incident prior to the completion of my round. Their initial determination… was that there was no violation, but they had additional concerns based on my post-round interview. After discussing the situation… with them this morning, I was assessed a two-shot penalty. I understand and accept the penalty and respect the Committees’ decision.”
