Have TIO Areas On Tour Become Too Generous For The Best Players In The World?

Over the last couple of months we’ve seen high profile Temporary Immovable Obstruction (TIO) rulings at the top of the men’s and women’s games. The first came during the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the second at Bernardus during the Solheim Cup. Both created more than a rumble of disquiet on social media, so now the dust has settled, I thought it was worth delving into.

Scottie Scheffler needed a strong finish to stand a chance of winning the Open. He went for the 17th green in the final round in two but tugged his approach shot. It missed the greenside grandstand to the left and crossed into a TIO area. Even though his original ball was never found, he was entitled to a free drop from the point at which it crossed. Scottie being Scottie, he took the drop, pitched onto the green and made the birdie putt to keep his chances alive. For the absolute avoidance of doubt, Scheffler did nothing wrong here.

The second incident came at the Solheim Cup in September. During the foursomes matches on the first day, the European pairing of Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Celine Boutier pushed their drive to the right on the 16th. The ball finished in a penalty area but to the right of a stream.

Boutier's path out of this area was blocked by a temporary bridge and as such, she was given a free drop to the side (but still in the penalty area). After the ball rolled into the stream twice upon dropping, she was allowed to place her ball.

Over the last few years, the biggest events in golf have grown beyond all comprehension and so too has the infrastructure. With this comes greater rules-related complexity as these vast, temporary structures loom large. What happens when a player hits a ball into one of these areas is not an easy problem to fix.

That's why I have sympathy with the officials tasked with marking out the course, and yet there was something about these incidents that made me feel uneasy. Notably that the pros are offered a significant advantage over regular golfers. Seeing a top pro given such favourable relief, I'm not sure is a good look for the game.

There's another problem too. As we all know, one of the greatest challenges of the game (for all levels of player) is overcoming the mental test it poses. A tight fairway with trouble on both sides is intimidating. If you knew you could miss on one side and get a favourable drop, that same shot suddenly becomes easier.

The problem is that with such generous TIO areas, there's a danger of ‘de-jeopardising' tournament golf. As a fan, I want to see dramatic highs and lows. With the pros performing at such an elite level, it can all too often feel as if there is no danger to catch out the best players.

Do the ruling bodies need to take a tougher approach? Could these spots be marked out as out of bounds or penalty areas? Honestly, I'm not sure where my own mind is on this one, so please tell me what you think in the comments box below.