Masters followed rulebook in assessing penalty on Woods

HOW THE RULES APPLY:

On Tiger Woods’ drop at No. 15 on Friday, the rules committee followed these guidelines in assessing him a two-shot penalty:

RULE 26-1. Relief For Ball In Water Hazard

If a ball is found in a water hazard or if it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in the water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), the player may under penalty of one stroke:

a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped; or

c. As additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole.

When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.

Woods was not disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard because the committee had previously reviewed the information and made its initial determination prior to the finish of Woods’ round:

RULE 33-7. Disqualification Penalty; Committee Discretion

A penalty of disqualification may in exceptional individual cases be waived, modified or imposed if the committee considers such action warranted.

Any penalty less than disqualification must not be waived or modified.

If a committee considers that a player is guilty of a serious breach of etiquette, it may impose a penalty of disqualification under this Rule.

On Friday, Chinese teen Tianlang Guan was assessed a one-shot penalty for slow play:

RULE 6-7. Undue Delay; Slow Play

The player must play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines that the committee may establish. Between completion of a hole and playing from the next teeing ground, the player must not unduly delay play.

Note 1: If the player unduly delays play between holes, he is delaying the play of the next hole and, except for bogey, par and Stableford competitions (see Rule 32), the penalty applies to that hole.

Note 2: For the purpose of preventing slow play, the Committee may, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), establish pace of play guidelines including maximum periods of time allowed to complete a stipulated round, a hole or a stroke.

In stroke play, the committee may, in such a condition, modify the penalty for a breach of this rule as follows:

First offense – One stroke;

Second offense – Two strokes;

For subsequent offense – Disqualification.

Source: usga.org