Scottie Scheffler found himself in an awkward spot during the third round of the 2022 Masters. His ball was buried among the trees and pine straw left of the 18th fairway. With little chance of playing a shot from there, he opted to declare the ball unplayable. But before taking relief, the World No. 1 had another small task to attend to. 

The Dallas, Texas, native began carefully picking pine needles out of his intended drop area, hoping to secure a cleaner lie and a better stance. But was he actually allowed to do that? And what happened when a rules official noticed his unusual pre-drop routine? Here’s what the Rules of Golf say and how the incident unfolded.

Did the Rules of Golf hand Scottie Scheffler a penalty?

According to the USGA’s Rules of Golf, a player can remove loose impediments, such as pine needles, leaves, and branches, from the relief area before dropping the ball from knee height, of course. Rule 15.1a allows golfers to do this without penalty. They can use their hands, feet, clubs, or even ask someone else to help.

So, Scheffler did nothing wrong. Although a rules official initially appeared unsure about his actions, he eventually confirmed that they were perfectly legal. Scheffler was also careful to pick up the pine needles individually without disturbing the soil underneath.

But why is this allowed? Loose impediments are not considered part of the challenge of playing golf. However, players cannot change other ground conditions to make their next shot easier while they are clearing the branch or other loose impediments. Under Rule 8.1, golfers cannot deliberately improve their lie, stance, swing area, or line of play. 

For example, they cannot press down loose soil or remove plants that are still growing or attached to the ground. In simple terms, Scheffler was allowed to remove the pine needles before taking his drop. But he could not move or alter other parts of the ground to give himself an unfair advantage.

There is another important distinction when replacing a ball. Under Exception 1 of Rule 15.1a, if a player lifts a ball from anywhere other than the putting green, they cannot remove a loose impediment if doing so would likely have caused the ball to move before it was lifted. 

Breaking this rule results in a one-stroke penalty. However, this restriction does not apply when a player is taking relief and dropping a ball. That being said, understanding all the rules in golf can be tough, but the USGA appears to have come up with a solution.

The USGA introduces AI to help players

The USGA is turning to artificial intelligence to make the Rules of Golf easier for players to understand. In May, the governing body announced the launch of ‘Rules AI,’ a new technology designed to help golfers find accurate answers to their rules-related questions.

It was developed in collaboration with Deloitte, and the tool is being introduced through a phased rollout on the GHIN mobile app, with select golf clubs already receiving access. It has been trained using more than 25,000 rules-related queries previously handled by USGA staff and experts.

Unlike generic AI platforms, Rules AI relies exclusively on verified and updated USGA content. Its confidence-first system is designed to prioritize accuracy, ensuring golfers receive answers based on the official Rules of Golf while accounting for the practical nuances involved in applying them.

The USGA plans to extend access to all GHIN users by spring 2027, with potential integration into other third-party golf apps as part of its broader innovation strategy. Until that happens, players will have to refer to the official Rules of Golf.