The $20 million event at Doral has nothing going for it this year. From big names like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler missing the championship to severe weather delays in the final round, the disruptions keep mounting. And now renewed scrutiny over tournament rules has added another layer of tension.

On Sunday, the PGA Tour issued a brief and direct update on X, confirming that preferred lies would be in effect for the final round of the Cadillac Championship. The controversial move has quickly drawn widespread reactions online.

Preferred lies, also called Model Local Rule E-3, or “lift, clean and place,” allows players to pick up their ball from any closely mown area, clean off any mud or debris, and place it back within a short distance of the original spot. However, it should be no closer to the hole and without incurring a penalty.

It is strictly a local rule. The tournament committee has invoked it only when wet or muddy conditions make play unfair. The logic is simple: when fairways are soft, a perfectly struck drive can pick up mud and fly in a completely unpredictable direction. Preferred lies exist to remove that element from the equation.

Before this move, the officials had moved up tee times to 7:30 a.m. ET to beat the afternoon storms, but a dangerous weather situation forced a further delay even before a single shot. Play eventually resumed at 9:30 a.m. ET, two hours behind the already advanced schedule. In addition, a cold front moved through South Florida, bringing thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and gusty winds throughout the day. A Monday finish remains a possibility, though officials haven’t made a formal decision yet.

What makes this move controversial is its effect on the leaderboard. Scottie Scheffler is six shots behind Cameron Young heading into the final round. With soft fairways and a storm already hitting Doral, the preferred lies ruling works directly in Scheffler’s favor, giving him cleaner lies on a course where a mud ball could easily derail a comeback.

In stark contrast, at the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club, the PGA of America refused to enforce preferred lies despite similarly soft and wet conditions. Scheffler was one of the most vocal critics of that decision.

“It’s frustrating to hit the ball in the middle of the fairway, get mud on it, and have no idea where it’s going to go,” he had said then.

The fans, though, are not happy with the PGA Tour’s decision. Comments like “soft tour, wow,” and “these professionals can’t handle any adversity” are coming in.

The dilemma of preferred lies

This is not the first time the preferred lies debate has surfaced, and it is not the first time this season either.

The 2025 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club drew loud backlash, with fans calling the tour a joke and an unserious organization. The criticism was loud enough to prompt a response from the top. Jay Monahan addressed the issue and subsequently modified the rule, cutting the permitted relief distance from one full club length, around 46 inches, down to one scorecard length, roughly 11 inches.

However, that did not fully end the debate. Officials again enforced preferred lies at the 2026 Valero Texas Open after heavy rain hit TPC San Antonio during the third round, with more rain expected on Sunday. Weeks later, severe storms at TPC Louisiana delayed the third round of the Zurich Classic, after which officials confirmed preferred lies for both the third and fourth rounds.

Now, the pattern repeats itself at Doral. The tour invokes the rule, fans push back, and the debate over what professional golf should tolerate begins again.