Fans went loopy over Scottie Scheffler’s free drop during the British Open in a event stuffed with controversial rulings.
Scheffler’s likelihood at successful appeared to be over on the seventeenth gap after he pulled a 3-wood shot so far left that it landed behind the grandstand then hit a provisional that also ended left.
The World No. 1 golfer and officers never discovered the first shot, though, and he was granted reduction due to a Temporary Immovable Obstruction despite being 100 yards off line.
Scottie Scheffler of the United States speaks to guidelines official on the seventeenth gap on day 4 of the The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Getty Images
Scheffler hit his reduction shot within 10 toes of the gap and completed with a birdie and one shot off the chief at the time Cameron Young. Scheffler finally completed in fourth, three strokes behind winner Ryan Fox.
“I need to make something happen there in the last couple holes, you know, tried to do something and the left side there is the safe side and the ball skipped off the grass in front of me and it flew over the the grandstand there, but fortunately it was in the TIO so I was able to get relief,” Scheffler informed NBC’s Cara Banks.
Scheffler was unable to take benefit of the favorable ruling, however, bogeying the closing gap.
Despite the finish outcome, rivals and followers alike were left confused by the ruling that saved Scheffler in the working.
Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates birdie putt on the seventeenth inexperienced on day 4 of the The 154th Open Championship. Getty Images
“Wow even I’m dumbfounded by that TIO relief from Scottie,” Michael Kim, a skilled golfer, said on X.
Kim posted again shortly after with a video of Scheffler elevating his voice in anger on the seventeenth gap captioning it “my reaction to his TIO relief on that hole if I’m in contention.”
Scheffler was allowed the free drop because of the “virtual certainty” rule which gives gamers reduction, even if the ball isn’t discovered, if a ball is recognized or nearly certain to have gone into a TIO.
“Maybe that Scheffler drop is “legal,” but that’s nasty, nasty work and utterly against the spirit of the sport,” one fan said on X.
The response to the ruling was only heightened by the reality it came after Bryson DeChambeau was controversially assessed a two-shot penalty on Friday, taking him from 7-under to 5-under
DeChambeau had walked behind his ball, stepping on excessive grass that would have otherwise been in his swing path, which the R&A discovered “inadvertently [improved] the area of his intended swing.”
The American, upset by the ruling, threatened not to play the following day.
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