World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler of the United States hit his tee shot with a fairway wood on the par-5 17th hole during the final day of last week's Open Championship. The ball appeared to settle on the fairway, but it bounced left and rolled into the rough. A large sand dune stood in front of it as well. Scheffler expressed frustration at the irregular bounce, saying, "Why?"
Upon reaching the spot of his second shot, Scheffler found the lie was poor but pulled out his driver. With only two holes remaining, he decided to go for it. He swung hard, but the ball curved sharply and flew toward the large grandstand to the left of the green.
Scheffler first hit a provisional ball and then walked toward the spot where his original ball had landed. Local commentators forecast a difficult road ahead, saying, "There's a mile to the hole."
But a reversal soon occurred. A rules official approached Scheffler and said, "The ball went to the left of the grandstand." Scheffler's caddie also witnessed the ball landing near the grandstand. The grandstand is a temporary immovable obstruction, commonly denoted as TIO (Temporary Immovable Obstructions). The rules official explained, "The ball crossed the fence marking the TIO. Everything inside it is included in the TIO."
According to Local Rule Model F-23, when a player's ball is not found but it is "known or virtually certain" that it came to rest in a TIO, the player may take relief using the point where the ball last crossed the TIO boundary as the nearest point of complete relief. Areas included in a TIO, besides grandstands, include scoreboards, TV towers, and portable toilets.
In the end, Scheffler could not find his ball but was able to drop it on a spot where the rough had been flattened by fans stepping on it. Playing from a relief area about 100 yards from the green, Scheffler put his third shot within about 3 meters of the pin and finished with a birdie.
Although Scheffler badly missed his second shot to the left, the rules allowed him to continue playing from an even more favorable spot. As shown here, making good use of the golf rules can sometimes work to one's advantage.
Complicated and confusing golf rules can cause squabbles among playing partners. Knowing the rules can make golf even more enjoyable. Sometimes the rules can even help you lower your score. If you subscribe, at some point you too will become a "rules doctor." Inquiries by email (sygolf@sedaily.com) are also welcome.
