SerpApi.Org
Scottie Scheffler's final round at the Open Championship featured a notable rules incident involving free relief from temporary immovable objects, which proved to be the most frustrating moment of his day.
Scheffler became embroiled in a rules controversy on the 17th hole at Royal Birkdale after a wayward tee shot left him visibly agitated. Approaching the dog-leg right, the world No.1 sliced his drive down the fairway, only for the ball to bounce into the rough.
As the shot left his club, he was overheard yelling: "Why? Why?! How does that even happen?! Ball slicing, one bounce. One bounce!" It came after Scheffler had 'ton to say' about Bryson DeChambeau controversy
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Following his approach shot with a fairway wood, Scheffler's ball curved behind a hospitality section, prompting a consultation with a rules official. Sitting at seven-under, he had just one remaining opportunity to defend his Claret Jug.
Capitalizing on the rules provision, Scheffler managed to card a birdie on the 17th hole. Since his ball had come to rest in the hospitality area, he was entitled to free relief from the point of entry.
"The rules official said it landed just barely left of the grandstand thing," Scheffler explained.
"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.
"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."
"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."
Scheffler had no obligation to locate his ball, yet his security detail was already making their way toward it before he could intervene.
"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.
Scheffler had no obligation to locate his ball, yet his security detail was already making their way toward it before he could intervene.
"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."
