Colorado Springs, Colo. – With all the grandstands, leaderboards, television towers and hospitality structures on the championship course, the Committee has marked these objects as temporary immovable obstructions (TIO). For relief from these temporary immovable obstructions, the Committee has adopted a Local Rule requiring players to proceed to a designated dropping zone for interference by the ball in or on the TIO, the player’s stance or area of intended swing. The player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, in the dropping zone nearest to where the ball lay (even if the dropping zone may be closer to the hole). Also, the ball may be cleaned when lifted.
On the 13th hole, Ryann O’Toole hit her ball into a grandstand (TIO) and it landed on a spectator’s lap. She proceeded to the dropping zone closest to where the ball lay and dropped the ball. When she dropped the ball, it rolled outside the dropping zone. However, it did not roll more than two club-lengths from the spot where it first struck a part of the course. Therefore, according to Rule 20-2c, the ball was in play and the player was not required to re-drop. To confirm this fact, the walking referee asked the rover if the ball was properly in play. This illustrates the teamwork amongst the Rules team.
OMG! Someone in America is using common sense! Don’t let the government find out.