Tiger Woods' Illegal-Drop Situation Handled Terribly by Masters Officials

Officiating a sport with as many rules as golf certainly can't be an easy job, but the manner in which Masters officials handled Tiger Woods' illegal drop on the 15th hole during Friday's second round is reprehensible and unacceptable.

Woods was playing great golf on Friday prior to the 15th hole, as he was tied for the lead and en route to improving upon that lead. Woods' approach on the 15th was nearly perfect. In fact, it was so good that it hit the flagstick and unfortunately rolled into the water. Woods took the drop, played a fantastic shot and saved bogey.

While Woods also bogeyed the 18th and finished the round three shots behind leader Jason Day, he was very much within striking distance. Speculation regarding Woods' drop being illegal came to light on Saturday morning, though, and he was ultimately assessed a two-stroke penalty, according to Bob Harig of ESPN.

There was some concern that Woods could potentially be disqualified from the tournament since he signed an incorrect scorecard, but a new rule gives officials discretion when it comes to disqualifications. According to a statement released by Competition Committee Chairman Fred Ridley (via Atlanta Journal-Constitution), officials used that discretion in handing down what they felt was a proper punishment.

In that regard, Masters officials did a nice job and used common sense in not disqualifying Woods from the tournament. At the same time, a two-stroke penalty is incredibly detrimental to his chances of capturing a fifth green jacket. Even if Woods' actions were illegal, the way that officials went about discovering it was completely wrong.

According to Ridley, officials first became aware of a potential infraction when a fan watching from home placed a phone call. That, in and of itself, is absolutely ridiculous. Essentially every other sport on earth has referees who police the game and ensure that there are no shenanigans. Sometimes they make mistakes, but it's a part of the game.

Human error is a part of golf, just like it's a part of essentially everything in life. Fans are meant to watch the sport and show support for it. When they start to become a part of the action, however, things have unquestionably gone too far.

To make matters worse, Ridley said that the Competition Committee examined Woods' drop during the round and determined that it was legal. Once that happened, the issue should have been over and done with. The Competition Committee made a ruling and Woods proceeded as if everything was normal. Little did he know that his world would be turned upside down several hours later.

Woods discussed the 15th hole during his post-round press conference, which was to be expected since it was the talk of the day. According to The Guardian, Woods admitted to dropping the ball two yards behind the original spot. Based on the way he explained it, he didn't seem to have any concern about a forthcoming penalty.

"

I went down to the drop area, that wasn't going to be a good spot, because obviously it's into the grain, it's really grainy there.

And it was a little bit wet. So it was muddy and not a good spot to drop.

So I went back to where I played it from, but I went two yards further back.

"

It wasn't until Woods made these comments that the Competition Committee revisited the drop in question, according to Ridley. Only after a second review did officials determine that the drop was illegal. This resulted in a two-stroke penalty rather than disqualification since the initial ruling was changed and Woods' scorecard was technically correct when he signed it.

Even if the officials ultimately got it right, there is no way that they should be allowed to change things retroactively. If they already decided that the drop was fine, Woods' comments should be impermissible. Media time is meant for the golfers to speak freely and honestly, but nobody is going to do that now that such an abominable precedent has been set.

Woods released a statement on Twitter following the announcement of the decision and he didn't take any cheap shots at the officials. Woods claimed that he didn't know he made an incorrect drop, so it can be argued that he should be more aware of the rules, but he did support the penalty despite the roundabout route officials took in order to reach it.

It's no secret that golf is somewhat archaic in nature, and that is part of its charm. At the same time, golf needs to evolve and handle these types of situations far more effectively. Essentially acting like the FBI and using Woods' own words against him after already making a ruling is an absolute joke.

Things are left open to interpretation far too much in golf, and that needs to change. There should be officials assigned to each hole who watch everything that happens throughout the day. When an infraction occurs, they should be forced to inform the players immediately. It's laughable to expect golfers to account for their own transgressions, especially if they don't know every rule in the book.

Football players don't call penalties on themselves, and golfers shouldn't have to, either. Most fans probably have no issue with golf officials enforcing the rules, but there needs to be more transparency, and this Woods debacle magnified that fact.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.