Players at Masters react to penalty on Tiger

Player reaction to Tiger Woods receiving a two-shot penalty for taking an improper drop on the 15th hole Friday, but not being disqualified.

Bubba Watson:

I think it’s a great rule (33-7) because, first of all, I personally, if I see somebody do a rules infraction, I don’t know which number to call. I don’t know how these people get a number to call. And obviously they’ve got a lot more time on their hands than I do, because I don’t know the number and I’m playing in the golf tournament. So I think the rule’s great because it should protect us. And the sad thing is the high-profile player gets cameras on him at all times. A guy could break a rule not knowing he broke a rule. Like me today – there were no cameras on me today. Nobody could care less what I was doing. They were worried about what Tiger was doing. So there’s no cameras on me, I could have broken a rule not knowing I broke a rule, not trying to break a rule, and somebody could call in and say this or say that, but I could get away with it today because I don’t have a camera on me.

Lucas Glover:

I’m quite certain that with the powers that be here, they looked at it and judged it correctly, because there’s so many USGA guys and Fred Ridley is a huge USGA guy. I feel like they were by the book, and Tiger being Tiger, he’s as up and up with the rules as anybody. I feel like if he felt like he really, really messed up, then he would have – he’s always done the up-and-up thing with the rules and he’s always been a stickler for the rules and a traditionalist for the game. So comfortable with it? Yeah, I’m fine with it, because I know they did everything they could to make the right decision.

Phil Mickelson:

You know, I didn’t get a chance to see what happened. I played so early this morning, I woke up, I didn’t really watch or read anything, and somebody was saying something about a two- shot penalty. I don’t really – quite honestly I don’t know what happened yet to even comment on it, and I’m sorry, I’m just unaware. I just got done with the round and haven’t heard.

Sandy Lyle:

I think that’s probably a little harsh, disqualifying himself. But then again other guys could have been disqualified because he signed his card, the card’s in, and you find out later on there was a discrepancy in his ruling. Yeah, you know, that’s not my control. We’re only players, we don’t know the rules 100 percent and there are people out here that do know the rules. It’s up to the governing bodies to decide.

Luke Donald:

I mean, obviously that doesn’t happen in other sports. Our sport is a sport that there’s quite a lot of time between shots. In basketball, American football, everything happens so quickly, and everything is controlled by the referees. Our sport is a little different. People have that ability to call in. I’m not sure whether I’m for it or against it, but I guess that’s why they brought that other rule out for situations where people do call in.

Steve Stricker:

I’m sure he’s thinking at the time that his ball just caromed off the flag and he’s like, how the heck am I having to drop now after hitting a shot like he hit there. A lot of things are racing through our minds out there, and it’s easy to get confused. It’s easy to kind of lose track of what you need to be doing. And a lot of times I’m that way, and I’ll just call in a rules official and just make sure that my thinking is right or ask your caddie.