SerpApi.Org
Scottie Scheffler’s final round of the Open Championship included him taking free relief from temporary immovable objects, which quickly became his least favorite part of the day.
Scheffler found himself in the middle of a rules blunder on the 17th hole at Royal Birkdale after hitting a wayward shot, which he was unhappy about on the tee box. He approached the dog-leg right and sliced his drive down the fairway, but it bounced into the rough.
After watching the ball leave the club face he was heard shouting: "Why? Why?! How does that even happen?! Ball slicing, one bounce. One bounce!"
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After taking his approach shot with a fairway wood, Scheffler's ball curved behind a hospitality section, leading to a discussion with a rules official. Scheffler was at seven-under, and had just one last shot at retaining his Claret Jug.
Then, with the rules loophole, he was able to card birdie on the 17th hole. Because his ball went into the hospitality area, he was allowed free relief from the point of entry.
“The rules official said it landed just barely left of the grandstand thing,” said Scheffler.
“I don't know what you call that, like a sponsor area or something. And Teddy had a beat right on where it was coming down. So when we get up there, it's past the fence that marks the TIO, so he said anything that's in there is it part of the TIO.
“So then we said -- we tried to figure it out. I said, if I find it, does that help me; can I drop it -- since that would be about 50 yards closer to the hole. He said, yes, you can then use that spot, but you might have to go to the other side of the TIO, which I didn't know exactly where that would be, and that's not a great angle coming across there.
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“So decided to stop the search and go back and drop it doing point-of-entry TIO relief. Actually I did that once this year during the Byron as well. Not something I'm proud of but I was familiar with.”
He didn’t need to find his actual ball, but Scheffler’s security was already on their way before he could get near it.
“I stopped them,” said Scheffler. They had guys pointing from up there, like it landed right here, and I just kind of hauled up there, and I was like, guys, get out of there, stop, do not find the ball.”
“Fortunately it was my security guy that I've had for a few years here. His name is Brucey. And then Woody was up there as well. So both those guys are pretty -- I know them quite well, so when I said, please don't look for the ball, they got out of there.”
