Fans are furious about Scottie Scheffler's TIO decision at the British Open

Scheffler’s Controversial Drop at the British Open

Scottie Scheffler stirred up quite the buzz during the British Open with a controversial free drop that had fans discussing the nuances of the game.

As Scheffler approached the 17th hole, it seemed like his shot at victory had slipped away. He pulled a 3-wood too far left, landing behind the bleachers. His provisional shot? Yep, that also went left.

After searching for his first shot without success, he and the officials agreed to grant him relief based on a temporary disabling disability—even though he was a good 100 yards from the line.

Scheffler’s relief shot turned out well; he got it within ten feet of the hole, setting him up for a birdie. However, he finished just one stroke behind the leader, Cameron Young, ultimately landing in fourth place, three strokes behind the eventual winner, Ryan Fox.

In his post-round remarks to NBC’s Carla Banks, Scheffler shared, “I really needed to make something happen in those last few holes. The left side felt safer, but the ball shot off the grass and went over the grandstands. Thankfully, it landed within the TIO, so I felt a bit of relief.” Still, he couldn’t convert the moment into a strong finish, ending with a bogey on the final hole.

The ruling on his drop left players and spectators puzzled. Some were even baffled by how the officials handled it.

Michael Kim, a fellow professional golfer, expressed his disbelief on social media, saying, “Wow, even I am stunned by Scotty’s rescue of TIO.” He quickly followed up with a video of Scheffler’s frustrations on the 17th, adding, “If I’m in contention, that’d be my reaction to that TIO relief.”

Scheffler’s free drop came about through the “virtual certainty” rule, which allows relief for a player if it’s known or almost certain that the ball entered the TIO, even when the ball remains lost.

One fan on social media pointed out, “The Scheffler drop might be ‘legal,’ but it was poorly handled and really goes against the spirit of the game.”

Adding to the mixed feelings surrounding rulings was Bryson DeChambeau’s recent two-stroke penalty that had fans and players alike riled up. He had inadvertently stepped on tall grass while aiming for his swing area, leading to a surprising penalty that dropped him from 7 under to 5 under.