Scottie Scheffler hit his ball nearly 100 yards offline on the 17th hole at Royal Birkdale on Sunday, July 19. He never found it. He still made birdie.

Here is why that was completely legal.

The incident happened during the final round of the 2026 Open Championship in Southport, England, on July 19. Scheffler, the world No. 1 and defending champion, pulled a 3-wood on the par-5 17th that sailed so far left it disappeared behind a grandstand. Officials and searchers never located the ball.

The R&A granted him relief under a Temporary Immovable Obstruction known as a TIO, and he walked off with a birdie.

Scheffler explained the ruling in a post-round interview, per HITC on July 19.

"The rules official said it landed just barely left of the grandstand thing," he said. "So when we get up there, it's past the fence that marks the TIO, so he said anything that's in there is part of the TIO."

Under R&A rules, if a ball is known or virtually certain to have gone into a TIO, a player is entitled to relief, even without finding the ball. Scheffler dropped, hit a wedge to 10 feet, and made the putt. He moved to eight under for the championship.

He also revealed that he actively stopped people from finding the ball.

"I stopped them. They had guys pointing from up there, like it landed right here, and I just kind of hauled up there, and I was like, guys, get out of there, stop, do not find the ball," Scheffler said.

Social media erupted when the ruling was handed out, according to Golfweek. The R&A confirmed the ruling was within the rules. The birdie didn't change the outcome. Scheffler bogeyed the 18th and finished at seven under, three shots behind winner Ryan Fox.

What exactly is a TIO, and when does the rule apply?

A TIO, Temporary Immovable Obstruction, covers structures like grandstands, TV towers, and hospitality tents placed on a course temporarily, according to the USGA official website.

They are not considered part of the challenge of playing the course.

Relief is allowed under Model Local Rule F-23 when a TIO causes physical interference, line-of-sight interference, or both.

If a ball is known or virtually certain to be inside the TIO boundary, even if unfound, the player is entitled to a free drop at the point of entry.

Scheffler said he had used the same rule earlier in the season at the Byron Nelson.

"I did that once this year during the Byron as well," he said in his post-round media availability at Royal Birkdale, as reported by HITC. "Not something I'm proud of, but I was familiar with."

Do you think the TIO rule gave Scheffler an unfair advantage at Royal Birkdale? Tell us in the comments!

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar