Rule 16.1 per USGA states: “This Rule covers free relief that is allowed from interference by animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions, or temporary water. It further mentions conditions for a relief: Interference exists when any one of these is true:

• Your ball touches or is in or on an abnormal course condition,

• An abnormal course condition physically interferes with your area of intended stance or area of intended swing, or

• Only when your ball is on the putting green, an abnormal course condition on or off the putting green intervenes on your line of play.”

Interestingly, this rule, which has multiple definitions depending on the situation, has the Californian– Rickie Fowler– stuck deep as he makes his way through the Fort Worth Texas event playing for a purse worth $9.5M. So far, the former world No. 4 has tumbled to 110th in the Official World Golf Ranking, his lowest position in years. Through his first ten starts, he has failed to register a single top-10 finish, with his best result being T15 at the Truist Championship. Thursday’s opening round at the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge seemed poised to continue this troubling trend. Seemingly, this doesn’t sit right with his fans.

On Colonial’s demanding 14th hole’s right, Fowler’s drive landed on the cart path about an inch to the left of a boundary fence topped with barbed wire after sailing right and through some trees. The situation appeared to be a textbook case for relief under standard PGA Tour protocols. However, officials denied Fowler’s relief request entirely, defining it as an “unreasonable” play. Per USGA, a player will not get the relief, “When playing your ball as it lies is clearly unreasonable because of something other than an abnormal course condition (such as, when you are standing on an immovable obstruction but you are unable to make a stroke because of where your ball lies in a bush).” But Rickie’s point? 

As his caddie, Ricky Romano, told Pete Dachisen and Robby Ware, the first and second rules official, respectively, “I mean, if you’re going to hit it, you should get relief, because you’re standing on it. … He said he’s going to hit it regardless.” And that’s when Ware and Fowler had a little back-and-forth:

Ware: “If the path’s not here, you’re not standing on the path, would you take that shot on?”

Rickie: “I’m going to right now just because the other options aren’t great.”

Ware: “OK, the other option is obviously you could take an unplayable on the path and end up over there…”

Rickie: “Well, there’s not really another option.”

Ware: “There is, but not a free relief option.”

And we know what happened next. Fowler took the shot, picking the choice of “hitting his ball as is.” He played his second shot backed up against the fence while standing on the cart path. The decision left Fowler visibly frustrated as he waited for a second ruling. That ruling never came. Eventually, he punched out his third shot to the rough. He settled for bogey on the 458-yard par-4. He ultimately finished his first day at par, in 57th position. As for his shot, it ended with the officials ruling it as unreasonable and without relief.

Even the television announcers expressed confusion on the decision during the live broadcast, questioning the officials’ interpretation of Rule 16.1, which typically grants free relief from cart paths.

The awkward position created a challenging shot for Fowler, leading many observers to label the officials’ decision absurd. Officials maintained their stance despite the uncomfortable circumstances. Rather than continue the discussion with the rules committee, Fowler proceeded to play from the compromised position.

The incident immediately caught the attention of golf fans watching the broadcast. Meanwhile, social media users began documenting and questioning the officials’ decision-making process in real-time.

Rickie Fowler’s cart path ruling triggers fan backlash

The ruling triggered immediate backlash across social media platforms within hours of Thursday’s round. The Rickie Fowler Tracker account documented the incident through multiple posts, which collectively generated over 7,000 views and dozens of angry responses.

“Rules officials are COMPLETELY WRONG there,” posted one golf enthusiast. The comment captured the sentiment shared by most observers. “Whether it’s unreasonable for him to play that shot or not. It’s his option because that’s where his ball lied. From that point he gets free relief from the cart path. JOKE.”

The most viral post showed Fowler against the fence while standing on the cart path. “ABSURD THAT HE GOT NO RELIEF! Terrible from both those officials,” the account posted. The message echoed the frustration of viewers who watched the situation unfold.

Criticism extended beyond the specific ruling to broader concerns about officiating consistency. “Why wouldn’t he get cart path relief here? If there wasn’t a fence there, he would 100% get relief,” questioned one user. The comment highlighted what many perceived as flawed logic in the officials’ decision-making process. Another observer noted that “Even the announcers say they dont understand how he didn’t get relief.” This emphasized the widespread confusion surrounding the decision.

The incident represents another chapter in the ongoing tension between PGA Tour rules enforcement and fan expectations as social media continues to amplify every questionable decision. At the same time, officials now face unprecedented scrutiny that transforms isolated rulings into viral moments of criticism. As for Rickie Fowler, he will next compete at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday from May 26th – June 1st. It remains to be seen how he plays there.