‘They’ve Got To Pay Some Price’ – Golf Fans Weigh In On Scottie Scheffler's Controversial TIO Ruling
The incident late in the final round at Royal Birkdale has split opinion
Golf’s TIO rules hit the headlines on Sunday at The Open after an incident involving World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on the 17th hole at Royal Birkdale.
The American hit his ball into a hospitality unit with his second shot on the par-5 and although it couldn’t be found, he was given a free drop.
Scheffler went on to make a birdie and keep his slim title hopes alive, but the incident sparked some controversy.
A TIO, which stands for Temporary Immovable Object, includes things like grandstands and other pop-up structures that are put in place for tournaments.
When a TIO impedes a golfer's shot, they are allowed a free drop within two club lengths. But what made Scheffler’s ruling slightly more unusual was the fact his ball was never found.
He was spared a penalty drop by rule 17.1d, which covers instances when it is “Known or Virtually Certain” that a ball has gone into a TIO.
However, while it was all above board by the letter of the law, it didn’t sit right with many people watching.
Following our Inside The Ropes discussion on TIOs, we asked if it's time for the ruling to be changed, with a mixture of the best responses below.
If a ball is not found, it is lost
Many were of the opinion that if a ball is not found then it should be considered lost, and the player penalized accordingly.
“If the ball cannot be found, they get no relief and treat it as a lost ball. PERIOD.”
“They should be required to find the ball to determine playability. In my mind it should be determined to be a lost ball if they don’t find it. What would make it cleaner and easier, out of bounds around spectator stands. Simple and fair fix.”
“To be an obstruction he had to have a shot. Without finding the ball and assessing the lie and possible options, [there is] no way to know if the obstruction made any difference.”
“I get the rule, line of sight with objects, but if you can't find your ball that's a problem. You need a ball and a lie to prove your sight line is obstructed!”
“I understand this is the rule but my opinion has always been that the stands, etc. at the Tour courses are not ‘temporary’ to the players during a tournament. I get that they’re not part of the course 24/7 but they’re present all week so they shouldn’t be considered for TIO relief.”
A TIO should be treated like a hazard
A number of users believe it is too easy for the pros, especially the longer hitters, to exploit this rule for their own advantage.
“It’s a rule that’s currently a huge help to the guys looking to smash the ball huge distances, knowing if they get it out of a line a bit, they’ll get a free drop. They gotta pay some sort of price for taking that chance and missing the target.”
Another person offered a possible solution...
“Just paint a red line around the TIO and play as a lateral hazard.”
'Why is it controversial?'
On the other side of the argument, there were plenty of people who saw no issue with how it all played out.
“I don’t think it’s as big a deal as this thread suggests. What happened with Scottie was fairly clear. His ball was deemed to be lost in a TIO that he was Known or Virtually Certain of entering. He simply had a drop at the entry point, after which he had further line of sight relief. All under the direction of a rules official.”
“Why is it controversial, it was in place for the tournament.”
“Sure, let’s clear the stands and disassemble it until the ball is found.”
What did you make of Scheffler's controversial TIO drop? Join the conversation in the comments section below.
