'Controversial Golf Rule'... Scheffler's Escape from the Tree Forest

Last April Masters 3R Hole 18 Situation

World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler (USA) cleverly used the rules to don the 'Green Jacket.'

It was on April 9 last year at the 18th hole (par 4) of the third round of the PGA Tour's Masters Tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA. Scheffler, who was leading by 4 strokes, hit his tee shot into the left woods. He faced a crisis where if he couldn't find the ball within 3 minutes, he would incur a one-stroke penalty and have to tee off again from the teeing ground. Fortunately, Scheffler found the ball in the bushes and declared it an unplayable ball. He could take a one-stroke penalty and drop within two club lengths to continue play.

Scottie Scheffler is checking the drop location after finding his tee shot from the 18th hole in the trees during the third round of last year's Masters.

During the dropping process, Scheffler asked the rules official questions and maximized the advantages for himself. He removed all the pine needles around the dropped ball to create a perfect lie. Golf Rule 15.1/a3 states, "It is permitted to remove loose impediments before dropping or placing the ball." Scheffler saved the hole with a bogey. He entered the final round with a 3-stroke lead and eventually secured his first major victory at the Masters.

Scheffler progressed through the Korn Ferry Tour (the second-tier tour) in 2019 and advanced to the PGA Tour in 2020, immediately winning Rookie of the Year. After his first victory at the WM Phoenix Open in February 2022, he swept four wins in one year, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, the Dell Technologies Match Play, and the Masters in April. He rose to World No. 1 and grew into a representative player of the PGA Tour.