In a sense, the third time was the charm for Beau Hossler – well, not really, but sort of.
Hossler had given himself an opportunity to win the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday evening at the Country Club of Jackson (Mississippi). But he hooked his tee shot at the par-4 18th hole behind a tree, was denied two requests for free relief, and despite finally receiving such relief after a similar drive in the playoff, fell to Kevin Yu, who birdied the first extra hole for his maiden PGA Tour victory.
“The main positive is just getting under the gun and performing,” said Hossler before adding, “I’m a little disappointed with the outcome. I’m a little salty right now.”
Hossler was likely still frustrated with the events of the final hole of regulation. Having just birdied the par-4 17th hole and with Yu birdieing up ahead of him, Hossler needed a closing birdie for the outright win, par to force a playoff. But he hooked his drive well left and watched his ball settle about 2 feet behind a tree trunk.
Upon assessing his options – spoiler: he only had one – Hossler called a rules official over and implied that he warranted TIO relief from the left grandstand and scoreboard.
The only issue? That shot required an inhuman slice around the tree. And the official was having none of it.
Hossler, clearly miffed, pleaded his case several times:
“Don’t I get relief if that’s between me and the pin, the grandstand and that scoreboard?”
“What if I told you I’m hitting this right at the pin?”
“I’m hitting this right at the pin.”
“What if that tree is 20 yards in front of me, then could I go at it?”
“Can you explain the rules to me?”
The official began to explain MLR F-23, which states that players may “take relief when the TIO is located on the straight line between their ball and the hole,” but that no relief will be given if “playing the ball as it lies would be clearly unreasonable because of something from which the player is not allowed to take free relief (in Hossler’s case, the tree)” or “when interference exists only because the player chooses a club, type of stance or swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable under the circumstances (in Hossler’s case, the wild slice around the left side of the tree).”
Hossler interjected, “I want a second opinion.”
That official denied his request, too, so Hossler was forced to punch out right, setting up a 131-yard up-and-down to keep his winning hopes alive.
“There was just no realistic way that Beau would’ve ever hit a shot in regulation anywhere than where he just did there,” said Golf Channel analyst Sam Saunders. “So, he was not entitled to relief from those grandstands.”
Hossler responded, wedging to 4 feet and rolling in the par save, while his playing competitor, Keith Mitchell, three-putted from 35 feet at the last to miss the playoff by a shot.
But Hossler wasn’t done with rulings. His drive at No. 18 in the playoff hit the left cart path and bounded toward a similar spot in the rough to where he was a few minutes earlier. This time, though, Hossler was not behind a tree, and this time, he was entitled to TIO relief.
However, Hossler was not out of the woods. He still had to navigate some branches, and his low hook around them splashed in the front-left greenside bunker.
Yu found the green, converted his short birdie and ended Hossler’s run.
“Even though I didn’t have my best stuff on the back nine, I grinded really hard,” Hossler said. “Hit some really quality shots under the gun, and that’s all you can do. Obviously, Kevin played a beautiful hole in the playoff. … Definitely stings, but you got to tip your hat.”
