NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Tiger Woods avoided a penalty for hitting the ball twice because of an 18-month-old rule that limits the use of advanced TV replays.
Woods was in a palm bush right of the 18th fairway Friday in the Hero World Challenge when he took a short back swing and tried to punch the ball back into play. Questions arose whether the ball stayed on the club too long, and PGA Tour officials reviewed the shot.
Chief rules official Mark Russell says only when they used high-definition replay in slow motion were they able to detect that Woods hit the ball twice. Woods says he didn’t feel the club make contact more than once.
The decision from May 2017 says that when penalties are not applied when a violation could not reasonably be seen with the naked eye.
