The second round at Oakmont saw play suspended and cancelled for the remainder of Friday as players fear mud balls are set to affect the gameplay. U.S. Open .
Heading into this week, fans were concerned weather issues were set to plague the third major of the year just as the <Masters> and the PGA Championship were affected. Oakmont’s firm course and fierce rough is set to soften up because of rain, leading to slower greens but less grip.
Rory McIlroy triumphantly conquered his major drought at Augusta earlier this year, winning an emotional Masters to secure the career Grand Slam. Scottie Scheffler then won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, marking his third major to complement his 2022 and 2024 Masters victories.
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Both events were affected by severe weather, and many of the top stars in the game were angered by conditions — and the rules surrounding what happens during rain. Three-time major champion Jordan Spieth fumed over the conditions after his third round at Quail Hollow, insisting mud balls ruined his day.
My iron play killed me the last two days and to be brutally honest with you, it was primarily mud balls," Spieth said. "It's just so frustrating because you can't talk about them here. You're not supposed to talk about them.
Mud balls can affect this tournament significantly, especially when you get them a lot on 11 and 13. They're just daggers on those two holes.
Scheffler, the world No. 1 who has endured a torrid time so far at Oakmont, also expressed frustration with the rules He expressed frustration over the lack of a 'lift, clean, and place' rule.
I mean, I don't make the rules," Scheffler stated. "I think when you're looking at the most authentic forms of golf, like when you're going to play links golf, there's no reason at all to play the ball on a links golf course. It doesn't matter how much rain falls. The course could be flooded with water, and somehow the ball is still going to bounce because of the way the turf is and the ground underneath.
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In American golf it's significantly different. When you have overseeded fairways that are not sand capped, there's going to be a lot of mud on the ball, and that's just part of it. 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 well-conditioned as this one, this is probably a situation where 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.'
The 'preferred lies' rule allows golfers to lift, clean, and place their ball within a certain distance from its original position on well-mown areas. However, this option was not available to players at the PGA Championship due to a decision by the PGA of America.
With rain forecast over the weekend, it will be interesting to see how rain — which was particularly heavy on Friday and is expected to be similar on Sunday — will affect conditions. One thing’s for sure: players won’t be pleased.
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