Tis statement provides a lot of information that people are ignoring. I originally thought he should be DQ’d but after reading the statement it’s clear they made he right decision and applied the rules properly. Tiger was saved by the “HD Replay” rule.
But then done in by the "post-match television interview" rule.
I disagree. The HD tv rule explanation, from the USGA’s website, is below:
“This revision to Decision 33-7/4.5 addresses the situation where a player is not aware he has breached a Rule because of facts that he did not know and could not reasonably have discovered prior to returning his score card.”
According to the USGA, the rule only applies if the player is not aware of certain facts. What fact was Tiger not aware of here? Ignorance of the rule is not an excuse. He took the drop, he deliberately dropped two yards away. That is a rule violation. How is he saved by the HD TV rule? That explanation makes no sense.
In fact, the illustration of why this is a wrong decision comes from the USGA’s website. As an explanation for the rules, the USGA gives the following example:
As a player’s ball is in motion, he moves several loose impediments in the area in which the ball will likely come to rest. Unaware that this action is a breach of Rule 23-1, the player fails to include the two-stroke penalty in his score for the hole. As the player was aware of the facts that resulted in his breaching the Rules, he should be disqualified under Rule 6-6d for failing to include the two-stroke penalty under Rule 23-1.
This is precisely the situation here. Woods was aware of the facts of his violation and he didn’t take the penalty. He should have been DQ’d. It seems pretty apparent that they are ignoring the rules to keep woods in the field. That’s embarrassing.