World No.1 Tiger Woods could count himself lucky not to be disqualified following an incorrect penalty drop at the 15th hole late in his second round of the 77th Masters.

Woods was summoned to Augusta National early this morning and slapped with the two-stroke penalty before the start of his third round.

So instead of signing for a score of 71 and a share of seventh place and now with tee off at 1.45pm at one under par and in a tie for 19th.

He might have been disqualified, but officials cited a rule of exception that allowed them to punish Woods on the leader board, instead of sending him home.

Tiger Woods taking his illegal drop at the 15th hole during Friday’s second round.

The problem began with Woods’ remarkable shot into the 15th that struck the flagstick and ricocheted into the water, and instead of putting for birdie, Woods walked off with a bogey.

“I went down to the drop area, that wasn’t going to be a good spot, because obviously it’s into the grain and it was a little bit wet,” said Woods.

“So it was muddy and not a good spot to drop. So I went back to where I played it from, but I went two yards farther back and I tried to take two yards off the shot of what I felt I hit.”

However Woods was in breach of Rule 26-1, that states the drop must be carried out as near as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played.

The rule gives the player another option. He can move the ball farther back, as long as his next lie and the pin are in line with the spot where his ball entered the water. Woods’s ball entered the water on the roll back, not on the front end of the hazard, and his new lie did not keep the three points – his drop, the ball’s entry into the hazard and the pin – in a straight line.

Augusta National officials then released a statement saying:

“After meeting with the player, it was determined that he had violated Rule 26 and was assessed a two-stroke penalty,” said Fred Ridley, Chairman of the Competition Committee.

“The penalty of disqualification was waived under Rule 33 as the Committee had previously reviewed the information and made its initial determination prior to the finish of the player’s round.”

There is a growing consenus that Woods should ‘fall on his sword’ and withdraw from the Masters.

And if he should now win, there is others already suggesting his victory will be tainted by the events at the 15th hole late on Friday.