The Open Championship organisers on Friday defended a referee accused of giving Tiger Woods preferential treatment, despite evidence that he had mistakenly offered the world number one an advantageous free drop.
Woods was offered the drop by referee Alan Holmes after his ball came to rest beside television cabling in light rough on the left of the 10th fairway during his first round on Thursday.
Cables are regarded as movable objects under the rules and, in most cases, are simply moved away from the ball to allow the player to take his shot unimpeded.
There is allowance for a drop, however, when a movable obstruction is found to be ”not readily movable” and that was the judgement Holmes made before telling Woods he could lift his ball.
The decision has proved controversial because a television commentator who attempted to move the cables minutes after the ruling had no problem doing so with one hand.
David Rickman, the Royal and Ancient Club’s (R&A) director of rules, was also able to move the cables but he insisted that did not mean Holmes had got the decision wrong.
”I’ve been there myself and was able to move the cables,” Rickman said. ”I can only conclude that the situation changed from the one Alan faced to the one anyone else faced.”
Rickman claimed the confusion could have been caused by some of the spectators in the large gallery following the Woods match standing on the cabling and insisted that Holmes retained the full confidence of the R&A.
”We believe Alan Holmes got the ruling right on the basis of the circumstances. He will be refereeing today [Friday] and for the rest of the tournament.”
Woods admitted after his round to have been surprised by the ruling and said the drop had left him with a worse lie than the original one — a claim that was disputed by watching reporters. — AFP
