Tiger Woods – Knee-high drop is “really weird”

Add Tiger Woods to the growing list of PGA Tour pros struggling to adjust the new rule for taking a drop.

With the implementation of the new, streamlined Rules of Golf on January 1, players are now required to drop balls from knee height rather than shoulder height, which has led to some confusion.

Turns out, dropping a ball from knee height isn’t quite as straightforward as it sounds.

Earlier this week, French pro Mike Lorenzo-Vera said it “must be a prank”, whilst Bryson DeChambeau described it as “a bit absurd”. Jordan Spieth even admitted that he doesn’t really understand it.

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As he prepares to make his first appearance of 2019 at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open, former world No.1 Woods was asked for his take on the new rule and admitted that it “felt really weird”.

“I’ve seen a couple guys do it so far early this year as I watched some golf and they’ve had to re-drop,” said Woods, who admitted he has already tried the new drop once in practice. “Hopefully I won’t be one of those guys that does it.”

Tiger also admitted he could be tempted to take advantage of another new rule, allowing him to putt with the flagstick in – and potentially at The Masters.

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“I’ve been experimenting trying to hit putts downhill at home and see how that feels, and I didn’t find that I hit better putts, it just felt like I could hit it more aggressively, which I did,” he said.

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“It might be more advantageous when we get on faster greens, a little bit

more slope, i.e. Augusta, have that sense of security on a three to four-footer down the hill.”