Hero World Challenge: Tiger Woods solid despite odd rules run-in

The Hero World Challenge is just an exhibition tournament, but with Tiger Woods hosting an elite field, the eyes of the entire golf world are focusing in on the Bahamas. Still, he survived an odd rules run-in on the final hole to post a solid comeback round.

The Hero World Challenge is meant to be a relaxing event for all involved. Well, at least as much as an elite, 18-player invitational with a last-place “prize” of $100,000 can be. But when it comes to Tiger Woods, he could be playing mini-golf in Dubuque, Iowa and the eyes of the golf world would descend upon the Tri-State Area.

Woods has caught his fair share of scrutiny (more, really) when it comes to unique, high-profile rules situations. Heck, he had three of them in 2013 alone, a season that should be remembered for his five PGA TOUR wins, but instead will be remembered for “The Drop” at Augusta.

This year, he played mostly crisp and clean golf, at least as it relates to the rules, and he returned to the winner’s circle at the TOUR Championship. This last week at the Hero World Challenge is little more than a group of golf’s one-percenters on a business trip in the tropics. But that doesn’t mean that the cameras are watching any less.

To set the stage: Woods was putting together a nearly flawless round on Friday, and he looked more than prepared, both physically and mentally, to bounce back from Tuesday’s 2-over-par opener. Then, he found the first real trouble of his round coming home on No. 18.

Tiger pushed his tee shot right of the fairway on the final hole, and it came to rest under a bush in a sandy area. He chose – for whatever reason – to try to hit the next shot from his knees instead of taking an unplayable lie, and the accompanying stroke penalty that would accompany it. This is where things went sideways.

More from Pro Golf Now

• Golf Rumors: LIV set to sign Masters Champion in stunning deal
• Fantasy Golf: Grant Thornton Invitational DFS Player Selections
• Brutal return leaves Will Zalatoris looking towards 2024
• Stars You Know at World Champions Cup Starts Thursday at Concession
• Fantasy Golf: An Early Look at the 2024 Masters Tournament

As you can see in the above video, Woods was able to poke the ball out from the bush, finding the rough. He still needed four more shots to finish the hole, the double-bogey closer the only blemish on an otherwise excellent scorecard.

That would all be alright, though, if it weren’t for what the super-slow-motion close-up caught. It appeared that Woods may have actually pushed or scooped the ball out, despite his attempt to make a quick, “snapping” motion at it with his wrists.

According to reports form the tournament, the deliberation in the scorer’s tent lasted more than 20 minutes. Woods did admit that he believed he hit the ball twice, but this presented a unique crossroads between the current Rules of Golf, and those that will go into effect on January 1.

Today, Rule 34-3/10 (Limitations on Use of Video Evidence) – basically a rule for Tiger himself – states that if a potential violation “could not reasonably have been seen with the naked eye” and the player was “not otherwise aware”, then the player will not have been considered in violation of the Rules of Golf.

In the new year, even if Tiger knew that he unintentionally struck the ball twice, he would not be considered in violation, as that Rule is being adapted for 2019 and onward.

Really, though, what would a year in golf be if we went through without yet another major Rules violation? This one is pretty innocuous in the grand scheme of things, but when it comes to one of the greatest players to ever walk the fairways, we still have to trudge through the muck every now and then.