Scottie Scheffler among golf stars embroiled in PGA Championship storm over controversial Quail Hollow ruling

By RIATH AL-SAMARRAI

Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele have raged against organizers of the PGA Championship over a controversial ‘mudball’ ruling at Quail Hollow, claiming it has left the tournament open to chance.

Eyebrows were raised when the PGA of America confirmed on Wednesday evening that preferred lies would not be in play despite five inches of rain falling in North Carolina across the past week.

As a consequence, Thursday’s opening round became characterized by golfers griping about playing balls coated in mud. That was most clearly illustrated when Scheffler and Schauffele, the world’s No 1 and No 3 ranked players, both yanked their approaches into the water from the fairway on the 16th hole and carded double bogeys.

Scheffler, who recovered to an opening 69, said: ‘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.

‘In golf, there’s enough luck throughout a 72-hole tournament that I don’t think the story should be whether or not the ball is played up or down.

Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele raged against organizers of the PGA Championship

The world No 1 is unhappy about a controversial ‘mudball’ ruling at Quail Hollow

Defending champion Schauffele, who shot a 72 on Thursday, was also angered by the decision

‘When I look at golf tournaments, I want the purest, fairest test of golf, and in my opinion maybe the ball today should have been played up.

‘It cost me possibly two shots on one hole, and if I let that bother me, it could cost me five shots the rest of the round. But today I was proud of how I stayed in there, didn’t let it get to me and was able to play some solid golf on a day in which I was a bit all over the place and still posted a score.’

Defending champion Schauffele, who shot a 72, was also angered by the decision. He said: ‘I wouldn’t want to go in the locker room because I’m sure a lot of guys aren’t super happy with the conditions there.

‘I feel like the grass is so good, there is no real advantage to cleaning your ball in the fairway. The course is completely tipped out. It sucks that you’re kind of 50/50 once you hit the fairway.

‘I got lucky three or four holes in a row where it ended up sort of on the top of my ball and then you’re kind of guessing how much spin it’s going to take off.’

The American predicted the scenario will become more problematic as the course continues to dry out in improving weather.

‘The mud balls are going to get worse,’ he said. ‘They’re going to get worse as the place dries up. They’re going to get in that perfect cake zone to where it’s kind of muddy underneath and then picking up mud on the way through.

‘Maybe (the solution) is hit it a little bit lower off the tee, but then unfortunately the problem with hitting it low off the tee is the ball doesn’t carry or roll anywhere, so then you sacrifice distance. It’s a bit of a crapshoot.’

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Scottie Scheffler among golf stars embroiled in PGA Championship storm over controversial Quail Hollow ruling

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