Rickie Fowler gets ruling, hits amazing recovery shot from the fence

Watch as Rickie Fowler consults with PGA TOUR Rules Officials and then hits an incredible recovery shot from the base of a chain-linked fence along the par-4 14th Hole at legendary Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas during the opening round of the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge.

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The TOUR tees it up at Colonial Country Club for the second time following a hearty renovation effort that was unveiled last year. Straight off his PGA Championship victory, Scottie Scheffler will be gearing up in Texas Longhorns burnt orange as he hunts for his third straight PGA TOUR title in Fort Worth, Texas. Joining the three-time major champion, are Harris English and David Riley, both of whom finished tied second at the PGA Championship. Riley is also defending his title this week and is not quite ready to surrender the tartan plaid jacket quite yet. Other notable players in the field are Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama and Tommy Fleetwood.

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All right, Ricky Fowler. So, he’s just in bounds, but in a crevice just on the correct side of the fence. Yeah, I do. But I I think this look up against the fence there. I think I’m just I mean, without a boundary, I mean, I’d be happy to get you a sign to come in, but I’m I’m would deny you relief from the path. So if it if it was getting relief from the path, what would the option be? Relief from the bath would be would be going over over here. But just uh I mean it gets you just if you’re up being against the fence and just I mean I obviously I can hit the shot. It’s it’s would I choose to play that shot? I’m not sure. But if I can hit the shot, yes. Well, I guess it depends. Is it, you know, does it have to be the shot that I’m going to play? Well, you Yeah. I mean, you feel like you would just take the w you’re just trying to punt it or you’re just trying to punt it down and then risk having the play would be trying to go go up and over. Yeah, it’ be like taking 56 or 60, put it down and hit the up and left going all the way down in here and you be able to Yeah. Well, cuz I’ll be swinging fence line with the face and left. I mean, I’ll be happy to get you a second opinion. Meanwhile, we’ll look at it in there and see. Keith Mitchell’s going to play here. We’ll talk about that in a second. Yeah. sound like he’s asking for a second opinion. You want me to give somebody else? No harm in it. No, that’s fine. Okay. Good shot there by Keith. Something got in his eye, it looked like. So, yes, from what I ascertained from the discussion with Ricky Fowler in the tournament referee, Ricky’s asking for card path. He’s asking for path relief. Correct. And the question is, well, are you able to hit the shot normally? And he’s, Rick is saying, yes, I can hit the shot, right? It seemed like the official was questioning whether or not he get the shot that he wanted to hit. And do I have to hit that shot in order to get relief? Yes, you do have to. It has to be a reasonable option. You know, you can’t hit it and pull it off. Do I get like a shot off? Yes. No. I’m not I’m I’m not saying like we need a second opinion. Okay. Yeah, we need one. I mean, Robert. Yeah. And this is for you too, Gary. If not, I’m going to hit it. As professionals, you guys see things a little differently sometimes, correct? And are able to ability wise able to pull off different shots. You’re good. Well, it’s a it’s a shot he could certainly hit because the path of the club is going to be parallel to the fence. Um, but the ball’s sort of down in a crevice, so it’s a very high risk shot. I I understand. See, I think it completely understand. What he’s saying is I’m going to hit it. Exactly. He’s not saying I could or maybe if they don’t give him relief, he’s going to hit it this way. So if there’s any part of his feet on the path, he should get relief. I think second opin I think this is going to be overturned. I think second opinion is going to overturn this. Even seemed excited like I want to try this shot. I want to hit it. Be cool. So So the best case scenario would be to hit this and it would go basically parallel along the road. Right. So if that if that fence and that path wasn’t there it wouldn’t be a very smart shot, but it would be a possible shot. Would it be if if it drops and gets cuz right now I have about an inch between the ball and fence. Say if it were to roll up against like closer to the fence with a wind situation or possibly would just lose one of your options if you declare it unplayable because now stroking distance is obviously here. Yeah. So neck and neck. So Gary, there’s no question the ball is inbounds. Yes. And he has a swing in it and the club would travel along the fence, not into the fence. Well, if that’s the case, then but it all he could do is advance it along the road, which, you know, he can certainly do. Would that be a smart shot? No. Well, he’s he’s talking. This is interesting. If he hits a power line, it’s you’re forced to play the ball over play the shot over. But I mean, I’m going to go off of the left cuz the fence I have there’s a clearing there. He wanted to get in the second. I told him I was sure. I was probably just going to go ahead get it cuz obviously being bound to fence, right? because it’d be more it’d be if they were getting the relief option from top. No. Yeah, I understand. I’m just trying to I’m trying I’m trying to see where the bottom of the fence I see where this portion is right here. Yep. You see that? So, I’m think there’s got to be another portion underneath it. It’s going You know what I’m saying? Yeah. I just feel with it being right there. I mean, it’s closer, but He’s going to hit. Yeah, he’s going to hit. I’m not trying to h But I won’t per I mean, if you’re going to hit it, you should get you should get ling. Does that make sense? No, I it’s it’s it’s the point where No, it’s close. I mean, it’s real close. If it wasn’t He said he’s going to hit it remarkably. So, let’s just say you didn’t give us relief. He’s going to hit it. I understand. Here’s the part on it, too. I brought up is if say I do hit it, but then I hit one of these power lines and now I have to try and re the drop and recreate. Now I end up with a worse situation. It’s probably going to go up again. But now I get I understand. So, so show me show me how you’re going to address it and and hit it. Toe down. So if that if if if if the path’s not here, if the path you’re not standing on the path. No. Would would you take that shot on with that with with with the proximity of it? I’m going to right now just because of the other options aren’t great. I mean the the other option is is obviously you could take an unplayable on the path and end up over there. Yes. Right. That’s that’s that’s one of your other options. I mean, the question is is whether it’s a reasonable shot for you to play if if you weren’t standing on the car. Well, there’s not many of there’s not really another option. Well, well, there is there there is, but but not not a free relief option. I understand what you’re saying. So, with honestly with the proximity to the fence and if the cart path wasn’t here, I I don’t I don’t feel like that you would take that shot. I feel like that that’s a that’s that’s too risky because of the proximity of the club and the fence and the direction of what? All right, let’s bring uh Rich Pearson in for So Ricky’s going to play the shot here. So not granted relief. Well, watch watch the shot, then we’ll bring Rico in for further explanation. That’s a heck of a shot. I didn’t touch the fence. All right, let’s bring in uh Rich Pearson with us uh video rules official uh with us here in PJ Tour Live who, you know, they consult with the guys on the ground too for review. Uh, Rico, so why was Ricky not granted free relief? Well, the his ball was up against the fence, which is an out- of-bounds fence, and the first rules official, Pete Dasherson, thought it was unreasonable for him to play this shot because he was looking to get relief from the cart path. And his relief, obviously, you can’t take relief out of bounds. His relief would have been to the left side of that path. So, he uh Pete’s thought it was unreasonable for Ricky to play that shot that way. So, he asked for a second opinion. Robbie Wear came in, saw the same situation, and asked Ricky, you know, if the cart path wasn’t here, how would you play this shot? And Ricky, as you saw, played the shot from up against the fence. That’s that, Rico, is where I get confused. Like, you can’t there’s no recourse and the shots been played, but they say, “Okay, it’s unreasonable that you would do it.” And then he did it. That That’s correct. But in in the judgment of the officials, it was unreasonable for him to get relief because of that shot. Okay. That that’s more unreasonable for him to get relief, but not unreasonable, right? They’re not like, “No, you’re not going to hit this.” Right. He he could have taken an unplayable. That’s correct. Or he can play the ball as it lies, but he wasn’t going to get relief because of the determination of the two officials to get him on the left side of that path. I agree 100%. I think what got lost in the weeds there. That was an amazing shot. I think he played that with a hooded club face for it to come out left. It was amazing. Very much. Now I want to see par. Yeah. Came up short there. Thanks to Rich Pearson for chiming on that and give us more clarification. I mean that’s a what’s fair to say Ricky played as Gary Kush said one heck of a shot. very much into the rough very much. Thanks for watching the PJ tour on YouTube. For more videos, click here.