Precedent for Tiger drop fiasco: Dow Finsterwald in 1960

By E. Michael Johnson

For those going nuts over Tiger Woods being given just a two-shot penalty instead of a disqualification, Augusta National did a similar thing with Dow Finsterwald in 1960.

Finsterwald practice putted on a green and the next day he was playing with Billy Casper when he went to do the same thing.

Casper told him, "Dow, I think that's against the rules."

Finsterwald then went to an official and told him what he had done. It should have been a disqualification. They gave him two shots instead. There is also Rule 33-7, which states: "A penalty of disqualification may in exceptional individual cases be waived, modifeid or imposed if the Committee considers such action warranted."