Luckily for Thomas, there is no size limit on what is considered a loose impediment. So while it might have looked a little strange, the large limb in his path could simply be picked up and moved out of his way. Despite the successful removal of the limb, Thomas would go on to make a bogey on the hole.

On the same hole during the third round on Saturday, McIlroy’s second shot ended up deep inside a large bush with very low-hanging branches. McIlroy was of course allowed to play this ball, assuming he was able to find a way to do so. However, there are a few things he needed to consider. First, he needed to take his stance and prepare for his stroke in the least intrusive way possible. This means that he was not able to break or bend any branches out of his way to make improvements to the area where he would make his stroke. He also made very careful practice swings so that he did not accidentally knock down any branches that might have improved the area of his intended swing. Second, he was not able to “build a stance” when preparing for his stroke. Even though it may have been wet underneath that bush, he was not able to kneel on a towel or anything similar to keep his pants dry.

McIlroy followed all of the relevant Rules in this circumstance and played his ball out from underneath the bush. However, he still ended up making a double bogey-6 on the hole, part of a tough week for the 2011 U.S. Open champion.

While Thomas’s and McIlroy’s situations on the sixth hole might have been different, both players did an excellent job of playing by the Rules.

Jamie Wallace is the manager of Rules education and digital content for the USGA. Email him at jwallace@usga.org.