Despite making a solid start at the PGA Championship on Thursday, Scottie Scheffler was disgruntled with players not being allowed to use preferred lies in wet conditions. (More Sports News)
Heavy rain fell at Quail Hollow, Charlotte, in the build-up to the second major of 2025, but the PGA of America outlawed preferred lies ahead of the tournament.
With preferred lies in effect, players would be able to lift, clean and place their balls on the fairways, with the decision to outlaw them causing several players 바카라“ including Scheffler 바카라“ to see the flight of their shots impacted by mud.
Scheffler has had 13 top-10 finishes in his last 19 major appearances ahead of this year's PGA, more than any other golfer since 2020.
He posted a two-under round of 69 on Thursday, on a day when playing partners Rory McIlroy (+3) and Xander Schauffele (+1) struggled.
However, Scheffler believed he could have carded a more positive score if preferred lies were in use, having double-bogeyed the par-four 16th when his approach veered off the fairway and into the water.
"I don't make the rules. I just have to deal with the consequences of those rules," Scheffler told reporters.
"I did a good job of battling back today and not letting a bad break like that, which cost me a couple of shots, get to me."
Questioned again on the subject, Scheffler paused, then added: "This is going to be the last answer that I give on playing it up or down.
"On a golf course as conditioned as this one is, this is probably a situation in which it would be the least likely difference in playing it up.
"Most of the lies you get out here are all really good. So I understand how a golf purist would say, '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.
"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."
