ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates ?Tiger Woods missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after shooting a second-round 75 that included a two-stroke penalty for taking an illegal drop on the par-4 fifth hole.
Woods was informed of the infraction as he came off the 11th hole in Round 2 and also met with rules officials after the round. Officials offered to take Woods to the site of the incident to review the rule, but Woods declined.
Video: View the Woods incident at No. 5
Video: Tiger talks about rules infraction
밒t뭩 tough, because I didn뭪 get off to a good start and I battled back; it wasn뭪 enough,?Woods said.
Woods?tee shot at the fifth fell right of the fairway and into a bushel of vines in a sandy area. Although players are allowed relief for embedded balls, it only applies to mowed areas of the golf course, not sandy areas.
밒t is very specific,?said Andy McFee, European Tour chief referee. 밒t only applies to ground not in a sandy area.?/P>
The violation was brought to officials?attention by a spectator on the golf course.
밒 thought my ball was embedded so I called Martin over. He agreed. Evidently it was sandy-based and it doesn뭪 call for an embedded ball there,?Woods said.
The two-stroke penalty will cost Woods a spot inside the cut line, which will fall at 2 over. He was safely inside the number at 1 over before learning of the penalty.