The PGA Tour must make rule change after Ryan Gerard incident on day three of the Tour Championship

As Ryan Gerard attempts to secure his first PGA Tour victory at the Tour Championship, a rule change is called for following a perplexing incident on Saturday at East Lake. With a mere one-stroke gap to leader Viktor Hovland, Gerard's luck turned when he found his approach shot into the 17th hole tucked away in an unpleasant position on the bank of a green-side bunker. The ball was embedded, granting Gerard a free drop, but the subsequent move of his ball to a more advantageous position sparked outrage among golf fans.

The existing rule permits players to drop their ball within a club length of where it came to rest, allowing Gerard to relocate his ball from a treacherous side-slope in thick rough to a smoother, flatter surface in the semi-rough. This decision proved pivotal, as Gerard ultimately sank a birdie putt to secure a par, a feat that would have been nearly impossible had he dropped his ball at the original spot.

Golf enthusiasts argue that the current rule is illogical and unfair. One fan commented, "Golf has the dumbest rules. Hit a nice drive in the middle of the fairway and land on a divot, 'sorry, no relief, hit it as it lies'." Another added, "Yes, a change to that rule would be good – drop at the nearest point of relief." The consensus among fans is clear: the PGA Tour should modify the embedded ball rule to require players to place their ball at the nearest point of relief, rather than granting them the option to move it two meters away to a softer lie.