If you ask Jordan Spieth about one of Augusta National’s dirty little secrets, he would likely mention mud balls. This issue, which Spieth complained about, has troubled the iconic course for a long time. In 2012, heavy rain softened the course, leading a frustrated Tiger Woods to say, “I played nine holes with Freddie [Couples] and Sean [O’Hair], and seven drives had seven mud balls.” Now, 13 years later and a month after Spieth’s complaint, another major is facing this problem, affecting Scottie Scheffler.

The issue began with the PGA of America’s decision to proceed with Thursday’s opening round of the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow without allowing preferred lies, despite days of heavy rain. In 2016, officials allowed lift, clean, and place during the final round at Baltusrol after heavy rain, a move that faced criticism. However, the return to traditional rules did not please the players on the course.

Talking about the situation at Quail Hollow, Scottie Scheffler said, “When you think about the purest test of golf, I don’t personally think that hitting the ball in the middle of the fairway you should get punished for. On a golf course as good of condition as this one is, this is probably a situation in which it would be the least likely difference in playing it up because most of the lies you get out here are all really good. So I understand how a golf purist would be, oh, play it as it lies. But I don’t think they understand what it’s like literally working your entire life to learn how to hit a golf ball and control it and hit shots and control distance, and all of a sudden due to a rules decision that is completely taken away from us by chance.” 

Scottie Scheffler struggled at Quail Hollow due to mud from heavy rain before the event. After hitting his shots onto the fairway, he went first from 212 yards but hooked his shot into the water left of the green. After taking penalty strokes, he had to play his fourth shots from a tough spot, and his putts came up short. Despite making an eagle at the par-5 15th hole, he sank a 7-foot putt for double bogey, bringing his score to even par.

How does mud affect the game? In several ways. Mud balls can significantly impact a golfer’s performance. When mud covers one side of the ball, it can cause the ball to veer in the opposite direction. For example, mud on the left side makes the ball go right, while mud on the right side makes it go left. Mud on the top, front, or back of the ball can shorten the shot without much change in direction, regardless of the club used. Most of the mud comes off when the player hits the ball, but some small bits can still affect its flight. That’s why cleaning the ball well when it reaches the green is important, especially during majors.

Why don’t the majors change their tune then? Major championships typically do not allow “preferred lies” after heavy rain, including the lift, clean, and place rule for mud balls, to uphold the integrity of the game and the tradition of playing courses as they lie. While this can frustrate players, it emphasizes the challenge and skill required to navigate difficult conditions, which is a hallmark of major events.

However, the issue that made Scheffler say, “I don’t make the rules. I deal with what the rules decisions are” also affected Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele during the first round. Although perhaps not as much as it affected Tiger Woods’s 2009 U.S. Open run.

That one time “mud balls” affected Tiger Woods’s back-to-back U.S. Open wins

Mud balls significantly impacted Tiger Woods’ game during the 2009 U.S. Open at the soggy Bethpage Black course. During the major, Woods expressed frustration after encountering four mud balls in just 11 holes, which contributed to his score of 4-over 74. Woods wished he could clean the mud off his ball, but he knew the rules wouldn’t allow it. His fellow player, Jim Furyk, dismissed the idea of discussing the issue, stating it was pointless since the rules were clear.

Woods said that the mud made his game unpredictable, saying, “If we keep it down, it is what it is. It’s potluck.” The USGA, which oversees the tournament, stood firm on not allowing players to lift, clean, and place their balls, a practice that is common on the PGA Tour in wet conditions. Championship committee chairman Jim Hyler even mentioned that not allowing this rule did not slow down play, despite players feeling otherwise.

As more rain was expected in the following days, Woods anticipated that the mud situation would worsen. Although Tiger Woods’s performance improved in the following rounds, he still failed to successfully defend his U.S. Open title. Will the issue, which Jordan Spieth first loudly talked about at Augusta National, get better at majors?