Leader denied ‘unreasonable’ free drop on 72nd hole after bizarre TIO rules debate

Intent is nine-tenths of the law.

And also, it seems, the rules of golf.

Beau Hossler learned this lesson the hard way on Sunday at the Sanderson Farms Championship, when a rules official denied him a drop on the 72nd hole while clinging to a share of the lead.

Our bizarre rules situation begins on the 18th tee box, when Hossler — then tied for the lead at 23 under — blasted his drive on the 72nd hole well left of the fairway and into an unfortunate position: clinging to the backside of a tree trunk.

Normally, these situations in the golf world are close to cut-and-dry. Given his tee shot’s positioning, Hossler had no choice other than to punch out from behind the trees and back into the fairway, setting up a tricky (but doable) up-and-down from the fairway to extend the tournament.

But as Hossler approached his ball, he saw an opportunity to take advantage of the rules of golf. His ball was against a tree trunk, yes, but to the left of the tree trunk were the Sanderson’s 18th hole grandstands, which could provide him with a golden opportunity at the golf world’s most controversial free drop: TIO.

First, a quick refresher. Temporary Immovable Obstructions (or TIO) relief comes when a grandstand or other structure used to stage a tournament impedes a player’s line between his golf ball and the hole. Because these structures are viewed as outside the normal challenges of the golf course, a local rule adopted by the PGA Tour allows players to take free “line of sight” relief, allowing a player a free drop no nearer to the hole.

Given his compromised position, Hossler stood to benefit unusually from such a ruling, which might have allowed him to move the ball away from the trunk of the tree and in position to hit the green with his second shot, necessitating no such tournament-extending up-and-down.

There was just one problem: Hossler’s case for TIO relief was nonexistent. His ball had come to rest against a tree trunk leaving him no angle other than to punch out to reach the green. Should he hit his shot to the other side of the tree trunk, to the left, he stood no chance of hitting the green at all, and the grandstands — while providing an obstruction from advancing his ball — stood no chance of impeding the path.

Naturally, that didn’t stop Hossler from trying to exercise his rights under the rules of golf. He called over two rules officials during a several-minute exchange that was aired partially on Golf Channel (the network was forced to drop out mid-conversation for a commercial break).

“What if I just told you I was aiming right at the [left] tent?” Hossler was heard asking the rules official.

“What if the tree was 20 yards forward?” He was heard asking again.

Almost immediately, it became clear that Hossler pursuit of relief was imperiled. In its spot behind the tree, his ball was in a compromised position — so compromised, in fact, that any reasonable argument for TIO relief was deemed unnecessary. He would either intentionally hit into the grandstand, or he would punch out into the fairway.

After several minutes of banter, both rules officials made their final judgment: he would have to punch out.

“It’s not reasonable for you to play in that direction,” one of them told Hossler, pointing toward the grandstand.

A few seconds later, that’s just what Hossler did — punching out to set up an up-and-down for par that pushed the tournament into a playoff. On the first playoff hole — ironically, also on the 18th hole after a subsequent TIO debate — Hossler’s competitor, Kevin Yu, poured in a birdie putt to win the tournament.

Even after receiving TIO relief the second time around, Hossler would go home on Sunday night at the Sanderson Farms as the second-place finisher.

But his efforts, at least in the eyes of the rules of golf, was second to none.