Carl Yuan would not be at the Sony Open if Jon Rahm had not moved on to LIV Golf. Nevertheless, he is here, and with his golfing prowess, the Chinese national secured a strong finish in T4 with 16 under 264 and couldn’t become the first Chinese player to win on the PGA Tour. Regardless, he has made it to the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons.

A par putt attempted by Yuan at the 18th hole has sparked an uproar in the golf world. The spectators are asking questions about a ruling that seems to favor Yuan, and the people went as far as to proclaim it to be the “worst” TIO ever.

Why was Carl Yuan given a free spot?

At the Sony Open in Hawaii at Wai’alae Country Club, Carl Yuan concluded his final round with an impressive 7 under 63. However, during the par-5 18th hole, Yuan’s ball found its way into a fairway bunker. With no better luck on his second shot, the ball couldn’t be located.

As per reports, the ball took off and ended up somewhere in the hospitality tent. In response, a PGA Tour official granted Yuan a free drop, allowing him to shoot another ball from two clubs’ distance from the tent. This decision was made as the tent was declared a Temporary Immovable Obstruction (TIO).

Yuan made the par putt and eventually finished the game. However, the decision to grant him a free drop raised many eyebrows. Editorial Director of the No Laying Up podcast, Kevin Van, asked why Yuan got free relief when the ball went over the stands. Van further recalled the Chen Tze Chung incident of the 1985 U.S. Open, when TC was given a penalty for a double chip shot.

As per reports, broadcaster Todd Lewis explained that relief was given in the context of “virtual certainty” and that the ball was inside the big tent but could not be nested out. However, most of the spectators did not understand the ruling and agreed with Van. They also showed their dismay over the decision.

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The golf world reacts as Carl Yuan gets a free drop

The public was dismantling the shot taken and could not understand why the free drop was ruled in. One user joked about the situation and related it to that of TC’s. They further joked that the Taiwanese golfer is probably writing a letter about his penalization that happened decades ago.

One fan debated that a rule is a rule, and even though the ruling seemed dubious, the ball was truly stuck in the tent’s material.

Another viewer wanted Carl Yuan back to the bunker and be penalized with a stroke and distance. If not, then he deemed it inappropriate.

One fan was in utter disbelief and wanted the PGA Tour and the golfer to have some “pride” and called it a “disgrace” for the game of golf.

While one fan argued that they saw the ball going over the stands and that Yuan should not have gotten the free spot.

For this fan, the ruling didn’t make sense. They called it crazy and said that if the ball had not been captured by the camera, Yuan would have probably gone back to hit a new ball with a penalty.

As Yuan was given a go-to hit from two clubs’ distance, this spectator said that they were “fuming,” because the distance gave the Chinese golfer a perfect lie as the rough had shorter grass.

Another viewer compared it to all the TIO they have ever seen and called it the “worst” of all.

The recent free relief of Carl Yuan has become a hot topic in the golf world. Was the free drop justified or invalid? What are your thoughts on the Tour official’s decisions?

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