News
Tiger Woods avoids penalty at Hero World Challenge
5-under through 17 holes in his second round at the Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods was sailing along nicely until his drive at Albany’s 18th, well, sailed right and wound up beneath a bush in the native area.
After considering his options, Woods, from his knees, attempted a quick swat at the ball with an iron. The good news: Woods extricated himself from the trouble. The bad news: Woods’ rules trouble was only beginning.
First, have a look at the shot here, via PGATour.com on Twitter.
"Did he hit the ball twice?"
It's been determined there's no penalty for Tiger Woods on the 18th hole. pic.twitter.com/xMCUAnBkcB
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 30, 2018
As you can see, and as the coverage team suggests, the ball appeared to stay on the club face for an extended period of time. If Woods “pushed, scraped or spooned the ball” he violated Rule 14-1 (a two-stroke penalty).
Secondarily, some questioned whether Woods struck the ball twice in the course of freeing it from the native area, a violation of Rule 14-4 (which is still in effect until the 2019 revision goes into effect).
When Woods entered the scorer’s tent, he was asked to review footage of the incident in conjunction with Tour Officials.
(via PGA Tour on Twitter)
Ultimately, as PGA Tour Rules Official Mark Russell told Golf Channel, Woods wasn’t assessed a penalty, it seems, because all parties believed he intended to make a legal strike. Further, as a double-hit couldn’t be determined by the naked eye, and per the 2017 rule limited the power of later video evidence, Woods was cleared of a breach of Rule 14-4.
Russell cited Decision 18/4 , which states “a player’s determination that the ball has not moved will be deemed to be conclusive, even if that determination is later shown to be incorrect through the use of sophisticated technology.”
He added the following later, via Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard on Twitter
Tour rules official Mark Russell on Tiger Woods’ ruling on the 18th hole at the Hero World Challenge. pic.twitter.com/4eBW1wSpis
— Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) November 30, 2018
For his part, Woods has this to say to Golf Channel’s Steve Sands
“First of all, I didn’t feel like I violated any rules. I felt like I was trying to play a shot. But the rules committee pulled me aside and said ‘Hey, there may be a violation there’ so we took a look at it. I didn’t feel like I hit it twice, it happened so fast and it was such a short motion, but under high def and super slow-mo, you can see it. I made contact twice, but there was no, they’ll explain it to you. There is no violation, I guess, so I shot what I shot today.”
What he shot — after an 18th hole double bogey — was a 3-under 69. Through two rounds, he sits at 2 under, eight strokes behind leader Jon Rahm and tied for 15th in the field of 18.
A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.
As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.
Let’s get to the gifts.
Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo
We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.
STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover
If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.
Why Golf: Putting Thing
When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.
OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes
Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!
Therabody Theragun Relief
A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.
World Cup golf apparel
Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.
FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes
Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.
Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker
Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.
Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls
The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!
- GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.
It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.
Check out links to all our albums below.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Ryan Palmer – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Mahanth Chirravuri – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Josh Creel – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Phichaksn Maichon – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Brandon Berry – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Ryan Burnett – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- James Song – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Andrew McLauchlan – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Ian Gilligan – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Alvaro Ortiz – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Russell Knox – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Ian Holt – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Mitchell Meissner – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Travis Trace – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Bryce Lewis – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
Pullout Albums
Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.
From the listing:
Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.
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Darryl
Dec 5, 2018 at 6:38 am
What I love is that the raking story has had zero coverage on the home page here. If Eldrick had hit a 290 yard baby fade out of a pot bunker to a tight cut pin with a 6 iron, all top 5 stories would be about it, three days later, even if he still only finished 17 of 18. But since the actual story doesn’t depict him as Jeebus on a flaming bun, all is quiet.
Tom
Dec 4, 2018 at 3:15 pm
He has impeccable character and honesty, just ask Elin or Lindsey. lol!
Kelly Gallagher
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:42 pm
All players can feel the difference between pushing the ball away and hitting it. I wish just once he would admit to doing something wrong. But I’m sure that will never happen. He showed with all his lying and cheating he has no morals. Yes he is one great golfer. But that is where it ends.
Bob Jones
Dec 3, 2018 at 8:34 pm
They said he wasn’t assessed a penalty because he was intending to make a legal strike.
I was intending to hit my ball in bounds, so I shouldn’t have to take a penalty because I missed.
Bob Jones
Dec 3, 2018 at 8:33 pm
They said he wasn’t assessed a penalty because he was intending to make a legal strike.
Well, I was intending to hit my ball in bounds, so I shouldn’t have to take a penalty because I missed.
Dave r
Dec 3, 2018 at 12:37 pm
Who cares he finished 17th out of 18 players. And yes he hit it twice and then proceeded to rake it out, the call was up to him to make and as usual he did not , can’t recall him ever calling himself on anything it must be great to be so perfect.
Tartan Golf Travel
Dec 3, 2018 at 3:45 pm
Correct. In 20 years on tour he had never called a penalty on himself. In fact he has argued vehemently when visual proof has been shown to him.
Kelly Gallagher
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:32 pm
Yes he did push it out. One of many things he has been caught at. He just won’t admit it. Liar,Liar.
Ron
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:41 am
All these comments on here about Woods cheating….The determination was made by the officials, not Tiger.
Jack Nash
Dec 3, 2018 at 12:01 pm
It was Tigers Tourney, I’m sure they’ll penalize him. Kinda like years ago at the Masters where he “wasn’t” penalized for an obvious infraction on 15 with the “yellow” staked area.
CJ
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:15 am
I believe he got away with a clear penalty. Not on purpose but its still a penalty regardless
Tartan Golf Travel
Dec 3, 2018 at 8:19 am
It’s obvious he cheated and it’s certainly Not his first time. Sad to see especially in a hit and giggle.
Tony
Dec 3, 2018 at 1:13 am
In my opinion (and as an experienced trial lawyer and long-term golfer I think I bring to bear objectivity and experience) it was a two-stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 14.1.a, which provides that “The ball must be fairly struck at with the head of the club and must not be pushed, scraped or spooned.” The fact that it was also a double hit (as determined on slow motion television) compounds the offence.
Any experienced golfer who has been in that position will know when the ball has been scraped or spooned. I can recall several occasions when I have been against a tree with limited backswing and I have genuinely attempted to strike the ball but it has stayed on the clubface resulting in a scrape or spoon. I have always felt it and penalised myself.
Ruling 14.1.a/4 provides, inter-alia, as follows: “It is possible to strike a ball fairly with a half inch backswing. However, in most such cases the player would be pushing the ball, contrary to Rule 14-1a. In the absence of strong evidence to the contrary, it should be ruled that the player has pushed the ball. In order to strike the ball fairly, it must be swung at with the clubhead. If the ball is moved by any other method, it has been pushed, scraped or spooned. If a ball is fairly struck at, there is only momentary contact between the clubhead and the ball or whatever intervenes between the clubhead and the ball.”
I note part of Mark Russell’s explanation that you could see the “club [sic-ball] stay on the clubface quite a bit of time”. Why, then, did they not have reference to Ruling 14.1.a/4 — the contact was not momentary and the ball was pushed, scraped or spooned.
Admittedly the backswing was more than half an inch – but it was only a few inches, and the ball was in sand. The fact that Tiger genuinely attempted to strike the ball is irrelevant. If the motion was a push, scrape or scoop there is a two shot penalty. A compelling piece of evidence against the “first strike” finding by the PGA officials is the fact that, in the motion, Tiger turns his wrist to hood the toe of the club to scrape it in the right direction. Also, I don’t believe a fair strike with such a limited backswing, with the ball in sand, would ever have resulted in the ball travelling as far as it did.
Finally, all of those who say get over it because the rule changes next year are missing the point that rule 14.1 does not change and has nothing to do with double hits. It is Rule 14.4 which will change from January.
b
Dec 2, 2018 at 3:36 pm
Woods purposely RAKED the ball with the clubface!!!
It was raking just like you would use to rake leaves or rake anything by keeping the object you are trying to move on the clubface or head of the stick.
If Woods at made a strike (in lieu of a raking motion) the ball would have compressed and bounced (sprung) off the clubface instead of remaining on the clubface as it was raked.
It was definitely a PENALTY that Woods got away with. BIG TIME BAD RULING!!!
geohogan
Dec 3, 2018 at 10:10 am
Ball clubface contact is 5, 10, 000 th of a second
Clearly , in real time, without stop action camera, Tiger raked the ball.
If Woods “pushed, scraped or spooned the ball” he violated Rule 14-1 (a two-stroke penalty).
Bert Gwaltney
Dec 2, 2018 at 10:42 am
1″ back swung usually doesn’t produce a 3′ follow-through, yes he was trying to get the ball out and into the grass, past the sand area. Certainly looks like a swoop and not a normal hit, but he said he make a stroke at the ball, and didn’t believe he hit it twice. OK, but maybe when he viewed the shot on camera, he might have thought of calling the penalty on himself. “I saw the ball move” seems to remember a great amateur making that comment.
in 2019, golfers will Intentionally strike the ball twice, perhaps with the putter and claim, it wasn’t intentional. This is why a rule for double-strike was put into the Rules of Golf in the first place. A putt that might come up a little short on slow greens could be made with a long follow-through.
Tom
Dec 1, 2018 at 11:33 pm
Cheetah
Johnny Penso
Dec 1, 2018 at 9:34 pm
You’re in 15th place out of 18. One would think that legacy would triumph personal reward at an event that is almost entirely meaningless within Tigers’ career.
RulesCop
Dec 1, 2018 at 8:04 pm
There are golf pros and there are true, iconic, consummate sports heros. I can’t imagine Arnie, Jack or Jones not owning up to a rules breach, but not Eldrick. That’s yet another reason why Eldrick will never be in their league no matter which and how many wins. You have to have the whole package to qualify……performance and integrity.
TWE
Dec 3, 2018 at 12:05 pm
Ummmm…..please don’t make statements when you don’t know the facts…..Palmer won his first Master after he insisted on playing two balls because he did not get the ruling he desired on an embedded ball rule. I love Arnie, but please don’t spew garbage.
Peter McGill
Dec 4, 2018 at 5:38 am
You’re allowed to play a second ball in those circumstances. Apples and oranges.
Kelly Gallagher
Dec 3, 2018 at 11:38 pm
Rules Cop you are so bang on. He has no class and that has shone through for years. The greats would have put their hand up and said yes I did that. And taken their penalty. Not him. I don’t care how many wins or majors he has. Just cause you can golf does not make you a stand up person.
Nack Jicklaus
Dec 1, 2018 at 4:59 pm
I rake my balls too.
Rich Douglas
Dec 1, 2018 at 1:54 pm
SCRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPE!
This isn’t even close, and it doesn’t require high-def replay to discern it. (Lame excuse, Tour officials!)
How is that any different than swiping away someone’s gimme putt? He used the exact same method you’d use to pull the ball out of there so you could drop it.
Another example of Tiger being Tiger and the Tour being his best friend.
Speedy
Dec 1, 2018 at 4:20 pm
I agree, Rich.
RulesCop
Dec 1, 2018 at 1:50 pm
Double hits aside, it was obvious, even a normal speed, that he raked it out. That is a penalty in any year. Shame on Tour officials and so much for Woods ‘integrity’ setting an example for the 1st tee kidz.
David
Dec 1, 2018 at 12:57 pm
ANOTHER example of Woods CHEATING again…
There’s no way in this world anyone can make a pulling motion to the ball with no back swing without double touching/ball sticking on the club face .. and Woods KNOWS that.
He also KNEW immediately he’d double touched. Anyone else would have called it on himself but not Woods… it shows his total lack of honesty.
Anyone that’s ever played golf know exactly when they’ve double hit … anyone reading this and feels differently has never played golf.
And that they let him off without penalty is utterly RIDICULOUS … anyone other than Woods would DEFINITELY have received a penalty.
S&TisKing
Dec 1, 2018 at 11:32 am
That wasn’t a swing, that was a swipe!!!
Andrew Wainer
Dec 1, 2018 at 6:00 am
He “scoop/spooned” it
DONNIE GRAY
Dec 1, 2018 at 12:06 am
PGA STOOPED TO A NEW LEVEL,DRIVING WITH 4 DIFFERENT PRESCRIPTION IN SYSTEM, ONLY 2 HE HAD PRESCRIPTIONS FOR[NO REPERCUSSIONS FROM TOUR],REMEMBER WHEN THEY SUPENDED DALY FOR THE HOOTERS INCIDENT HE ADMITTED HE HIT IT TWICE AND THE NEW RULES ARE NOT INFECT TILL JANUARY IN HIS CAREER HOW MANY FAVORABLE CALLS HAS HE RECEIVED IN HIS CAREER
Lovejoy
Nov 30, 2018 at 9:52 pm
A player admits to a double hit having seen the evidence and does not call a penalty on himself?
CHEAT
Scheiss
Dec 1, 2018 at 11:16 am
Exactly. Signed for wrong score, therefore DQ
He Who Remembers
Nov 30, 2018 at 9:05 pm
Yeah, this kind of stuff reminds me of the EXTRA favorable drop Woods received at the Players Championship……got away with that one too. It took a call from a distinguished senior tour player to make the officials rule Tiger made an illegal drop at The Masters. Cmon, how many time does the tour have to roll over for this guy.
BF
Nov 30, 2018 at 5:42 pm
If they were playing under the new 2019 rules, which I know they aren’t, isn’t there no penalty for hitting it twice if it’s unintentional?
Bubbert
Dec 1, 2018 at 8:33 am
In the new 2019 rules, there is no penalty for unintentionally hitting the ball twice.
Rich Douglas
Dec 1, 2018 at 1:56 pm
This wasn’t a case of “hitting it twice” with one swing. This was a scrape. He yanked the ball out of there, not using a clean hit. That is a penalty now, and it will be a penalty in 2019.
dat
Nov 30, 2018 at 5:37 pm
Certainly didn’t look like a double hit or a scoop to me in real time. Slo-mo is deceptive and irrelevant here. Officials made the right call.
Brian McGrnahan
Nov 30, 2018 at 4:42 pm
Its obvious the ball was compressed on the clubface.
Tom
Nov 30, 2018 at 4:38 pm
Ray Lewis told him to say “I didn’t see nuttin!”