AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods’ only chance to leave this year’s Masters a winner would have been to disqualify himself before yesterday’s third round.
Woods, who represents countless millions of dollars to the TV networks when he is playing, was not disqualified by the Masters tournament committee yesterday after a review of what was determined to be an improper drop on the 15th hole of his second round Friday.
The tournament committee hid behind a revised rule of golf (Rule 33-7) that was nebulous at best, even before it was tweaked two years ago to protect players from being disqualified for signing a wrong scorecard when an infraction was discovered after the fact — such as via TV viewer call-ins.
For example, in 2011 in Abu Dhabi, Padraig Harrington did not see his ball move slightly after he removed his marker on the green, but a TV viewer emailed the European Tour to alert it that the ball moved, meaning, by rule, Harrington should have re-marked his ball.
By the time the email reached the tournament committee, Harrington already had signed for his score, which led to a disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard.
Cases such as Harrington’s are the kind Rule 33-7 should protect, not in this case since Woods simply wasn’t clear on the rule. Rule 33-7 was not designed and tweaked to protect ignorance.
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Masters officials completely bungled this. Competition chairman Fred Ridley claimed yesterday a TV viewer called tournament rules officials to alert them to Woods’ gaffe, which is what sparked the whole chain reaction.
If you believe that, then you believe you can score a Monday tee time at Augusta National with a phone call and fifty bucks. There is no way the Masters was going to allow itself to lose its star draw and mar its perfect tournament at its perfect course.
Everyone involved is a culprit in this mess. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the damage-control meetings as the green jackets tried to sort this all out.
The only criticism that is unfair here is one that suggests Woods is a cheater. Woods might have cheated on his wife, but he is not is a cheater on the golf course.
After Friday’s round, Woods spoke openly about why he took the drop two yards behind the place of his original shot — because it gave him a better yardage from which to hit. If he was cheating, why would he have brought attention to that?
Now, with Woods, who shot 70 yesterday, at 3-under par and four shots out of the lead entering today’s final round, it is not out of the question for him to win his fifth Green Jacket.
Where, though, would a win today leave Woods — with an asterisk next to his name as the 2013 Masters champion?
What if Woods goes on to tie or break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships and this year’s Masters is one of the notches on his belt? Will there be an asterisk next to the record?
Woods, whose image is anything but Wheaties box clean thanks to how insulated he is and the public mess he made of his private life 3  1/2 years ago, could have improved that image immeasurably had he done the honorable thing and withdrawn.
There is no doubt Woods got an unlucky break when his approach shot hit the flag stick on 15 and rebounded back into Rae’s Creek. The shot that was so accurate that it hit the flag stick ended up costing Woods four shots, possibly the tournament and a reputation further and forever tainted.
That’s why Woods would have been better off walking away from this Masters yesterday morning. It was the only way he could win this one.
DROPPING THE BALL? Tiger Woods, in action during yesterday’s third round. Mark Cannizzaro believes Woods should have walked away. (Getty Images)
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