PGA Tour pro fumes with rules official on 18 then loses playoff at Sanderson Farms

Beau Hossler fumed with a PGA Tour rules official for not getting Temporary Immovable Obstruction (TIO) relief on the 18th hole and then went on to lose a playoff to Kevin Yu at the Sanderson Farms Championship. 

Hossler, 29, called into question a controversial TIO ruling Matt Kuchar received on the 18th at the Wyndham Championship in August. 

Despite putting forward his best case for at least a few minutes, Hossler was denied a TIO free drop by the rules official since his ball was located directly behind a tree.

The referee deemed Hossler could not fade his golf ball enough from left to right for the grandstand to even be classed as interference.

Scroll below for a closer look at the shot that faced Hossler, and the resulting conversation he had with the PGA Tour rules official...

As you can see from the image below, Hossler's tee shot finished directly behind a tree on 18. 

He was looking to gain free relief for a TIO with the grandstand to the left of the tree.

Hossler was arguing with the rules official that he could still fade his ball from left to right and towards the green - and therefore the grandstand would have been in his way. 

But the official was having none of it. 

Hossler also called for a second opinion from another PGA Tour rules official, be he too denied him relief for a TIO.

Here's how the conversation played out: 

"So what's different to this and what Kuchar did on 18?!," Hossler said to the rules official. 

The rules official replied: "I wasn't there..."

Hossler replied: "He was right behind a tree and he had scoreboard in front of him..."

The rules official replied sternly: "Beau, I wasn't there..."

"I know," said Hossler, "I'm just asking the question, I'm sorry."

The rules official confirmed to Hossler he would not be getting TIO relief. 

"Who is deeming that [decision]?" Hossler continued as he desperately attempted to try and get free relief away from the tree. 

The rules official said: "Beau, I think the three of us know you cannot curve that ball over there and back towards the hole all the way over there..."

"Okay that's fair," said Hossler, who then chipped his ball back onto the fairway.

To Hossler's credit he then sent his third shot from 133 yards into four feet to salvage a par.

His playing partner Keith Mitchell had 35 feet for birdie on the 18th to win the tournament but the American would run his first putt six feet past the hole and then miss the return for par to not even make a playoff. 

Hossler converted the four-footer for par to join Yu in a two-man playoff.

Yu and Hossler then went back up the 18th.

Hossler found the left rough, while Yu split the middle of the fairway. 

The American this time did get TIO relief as the grandstand was in his line to the pin.

While that was all going on, Yu sent a towering short iron into five feet. 

Hossler then found the greenside bunker. 

He would play a brilliant shot from the sand to two feet to ensure a par, but it was to little avail as Taiwan's Yu, 26, tucked away the birdie putt to capture his maiden title on the PGA Tour. 

"This is a dream come true, been dreaming about this since I was five to win on the PGA Tour," said Yu.

"I am really thankful to my parents, without them I could not have done this and won this tournament. I want to thank my team, my coach, my caddie, my friends."

Yu also birdied the 18th hole in regulation play from 12 feet to card a 5-under 67 and set the clubhouse target of 23-under par. 

Hossler, who also lost to Ian Poulter in a playoff at the Houston Open in 2018, is still seeking a first win on the PGA Tour. 

VIEW FULL SCORES