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When four players in separate press conferences use nearly identical language to describe the same problem, it’s no longer a complaint—it’s a pattern. Thursday at the Hero World Challenge, Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Corey Conners, and Sepp Straka each pointed to Albany’s chipping conditions as the round’s hidden adversary, and their technical precision revealed something deeper about what’s happening on the ground in the Bahamas.

The diagnosis was unanimous: grainy Bermuda lies, raised greens, and balls sitting down in unforgiving turf. Scheffler, tied for the lead at 6-under with Clark and Straka, didn’t mince words when asked about the short-game difficulty. The grain has a lot to do with it, he explained. The ball has a tendency to sit down in the turf, and with most areas below the green, the challenge becomes apparent.

Clark was more direct. Do you want the politically correct answer? It’s not in good shape, he said. You’re always chipping into the grain, often from bad lies in Bermuda, and the margin for error shrinks fast.

Conners, one shot back at 5-under, echoed the sentiment. The ball just kind of sits down a little bit, he noted. The greens are raised, the lies are tight and grainy, and contact quality becomes critical.

Straka completed the chorus. It’s so grainy, he said, explaining how into-the-grain lies eliminate lofted options and force creative problem-solving.

Despite the shared frustration, all four players remain near the top of the leaderboard—proof that even when conditions test precision, elite skill finds a way.