OK apparently I wasn't clear enough in my last post.
What I was trying to ask is, how often does someone actually strike the ball and actually get the backstop effect. I understand that it could potentially be hit, but when has this actually happened, in a tournament no less? In my 20+ years of playing golf, I've never seen it actually happen in any of my rounds. Just not understanding why its an issue given its so terribly unlikely to happen.
P.S. If everyone is on/near the green, and the ball can be marked without undue delay it seems like it should be, but today I was watching in the Open on at least one occasion where a player waited 80 yards back in the fairway for thier partner to go up to the green and mark.