In fact, the illustration of why this is a wrong decision comes from the USGA’s website. As an explanation for the rules, the USGA gives the following example:
As a player’s ball is in motion, he moves several loose impediments in the area in which the ball will likely come to rest. Unaware that this action is a breach of Rule 23-1, the player fails to include the two-stroke penalty in his score for the hole. As the player was aware of the facts that resulted in his breaching the Rules, he should be disqualified under Rule 6-6d for failing to include the two-stroke penalty under Rule 23-1.
This is precisely the situation here. Woods was aware of the facts of his violation and he didn’t take the penalty. He should have been DQ’d. It seems pretty apparent that they are ignoring the rules to keep woods in the field. That’s embarrassing.
Wrong. He was not aware. Not only that but the Masters made the decision that there was NOT a violation BEFORE he finished his round. Absolutely everyone believed at the time he signed his scorecard that it was correct. Fred Ridley in the interview with Jim Nantz said that precisely because the committee ruled that there was no violation is exactly why a DQ was never in question. Watch the interview. It’s exceptionally clear why they made the correct decision.