Bizarre Rules Scenario Sees Akshay Bhatia Drop On Artificial Mat During Travelers Championship

Most of us have spent the formative years of our lives (and many since) hitting golf shots off artificial mats. Mostly at the driving range, but sometimes on course during the wetter months, too.

While the same might have been true for certain pro golfers when they first started to learn the game, those days are largely long gone with turf ranges and world-class course conditioning now the norm.

Nevertheless, a rules incident involving Akshay Bhatia on Thursday took the left-hander right back to his junior days.

Flying along at five-under during round one of the Travelers Championship, Bhatia reached the drivable par-4 15th at TPC River Highlands expecting to at least give himself a chance of birdie.

However, those plans soon went out the window when his sliced tee shot travelled 247 yards towards the 16th tee box, which was well over to the left of the 15th fairway.

Luckily, Bhatia's ball stopped on dry land with the Travelers Championship's umbrella logo around 100 yards farther on in the water.

And his luck didn't stop there. Said golf ball was right by the 16th tee's back sponsor board, giving Bhatia a free drop.

Golf on CBS' rules guy, Mark Dusbabek, jumped on the broadcast to explain the situation. He said: "When you have a Temporary Immovable Obstruction, when you're within one club length on your equidistant arc from that TIO - which is the tee back sign - then you have two options.

"You can take line of sight, which is nearest point of relief and it's one club length and it's drop in the second club length.

"Otherwise, you can take - just like dropping from an obstruction - nearest point of relief and one club length, which got him to this tee pad here. That's a separate obstruction, and he chose to play from there."

The 'tee pad' Dusbabek is referring to is a square artificial mat you or I might be accustomed to seeing at our local driving range.

It was behind the 16th tee box on the water side and was placed there to host the traditional Hole 15-and-a-half competition during Wednesday's pro-am.

In that mini event, players, caddies and their amateur partners try to hit the Travelers Championship logo in the lake, which reportedly has a little flag placed on it.

Because it remained there for the PGA Tour's final Signature Event of the season, Bhatia was able to choose a clean lie and flick a wedge up to the green from 55 yards.

Despite his good fortune, the three-time PGA Tour winner was unable to find birdie from almost 30 feet and was forced to settle for par. He subsequently parred 16 and 17 before dropping out of the top-10 via a bogey at the closing hole.

Bhatia will resume his tournament on four-under and in a share of 14th when he tees off alongside Adam Scott at 9:45am ET on Friday morning.