Tiger Woods just missed the cut during the tournament at this year’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. He was given a two stroke penalty when he mistakenly misunderstood the local rules for the course and took a free drop from an area that he thought caused his ball to be embedded. He was mistaken.

So, what is the rule for an embedded golf ball? The rule to refer to for this condition is Rule 25: Abnormal Ground Conditions. If the ball lands in a closely-mown area (any area of the course cut to fairway height or less.) i.e. teeing area, paths and fairways, and sticks in a mud puddle, divot, blob of goo, you get free relief, dropping the ball as closely as possible to the point where it was embedded. But if the ball lands and embeds in an area outside a closely-mown area, there’s no free relief and the ball must be played as it lies, or it can be dropped with a one stroke penalty under Rule 28.

Here’s what happened to Tiger Woods: On hole 5, Tiger had sent his ball into some rough brush to the right of the fairway. It was not closely mowed. But he thought it was? Or he thought there was a local rule about hitting out of some fairway side scruffy leaves? I don’t know what he was thinking, but he made the wrong assumption and took a free drop. That decision cost him a two stroke penalty and he missed the cut.

Tiger is a pro, but he can still make mistakes. It’s a good lesson for the rest of us. You are only entitled to relief for a ball that is embedded in the rough if a local rule has been put into effect. Otherwise, taking a drop is a big “no-no.” Live and learn.