PGA Championship Mud Balls Send Shane Lowry Into Fit Of Rage Over Horrible Lie He Couldn’t Fix

Shane Lowry is not the only participant in this weekend’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow to deal with a mud ball. However, the Irish golfer was by far the most impacted thus far — both literally and figuratively.

His ball was so far buried in the fairway that he was forced to hit out of what can only be described as a deep divot without any relief.

This has been a recurring theme throughout the golf tournament in North Carolina. The biggest storyline of the PGA Championship has been the soft conditions on the course and the corresponding mud. Professional golfers spend their entire lives learning how to control a ball. Mud and dirt can have a major impact on the flight and trajectory of the balls. It causes them to spin unpredictably.

Scottie Scheffler was furious with the amount of mud on the course at Quail Hollow during the first round.

It’s one of those deals where it’s frustrating to hit the ball in the middle of the fairway and get mud on it and have no idea where it’s going to go.

I understand it’s part of the game, but there’s nothing more frustrating for a player. You spend your whole life trying to learn how to control a golf ball, and due to a rules decision all of a sudden you have absolutely no control over where that golf ball goes.

But I don’t make the rules. I just have to deal with the consequences of those rules. I did a good job of battling back today and not letting a bad break like that, which cost me a couple shots, get to me. Did a good job battling after that and posting a decent score.

— Scottie Scheffler

As was Xander Schauffele.

It is what it is, and a lot of guys are dealing with it, but it’s just unfortunate to be hitting good shots and to pay them off that way. It’s kind of stupid. I wouldn’t want to go in the locker room because I’m sure a lot of guys aren’t super happy with sort of the conditions there.

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

— Xander Schafuffle

The PGA of America chose not to implement preferred lies for the first or second round. Although that ruling is consistent with the history of the PGA Championship and other majors, multiple players were baffled by the lack of exception on Thursday.

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.

— Scottie Scheffler

Padraig Harrington, who often plays in rainy Europe, said Quail Hollow this week is the “wettest golf course he has ever seen.” Curtis Strange strongly disagreed with the PGA’s decision.

From a player’s standpoint, it’s completely aggravating when you lose control of the golf ball in the air. From the PGA standpoint, I think from the PGA of America, I think they thought there was enough grass on these fairways, thick enough, overseeded with rye, that they wouldn’t pick up mud.

They were wrong, obviously, and I think they made a mistake. I think for one day, it’s OK to put it in your hand and put it on a tuft of grass and clean the ball.

— Curtis Strange

Despite what happened on Thursday, the PGA stood by its lack of relief on Friday.

Shane Lowry was hindered by the ruling!

Lowry was on the wrong end of the controversial decision on his second shot of the eighth hole. His ball got buried in the fairway and he did not get to play a preferred lie. It was what it was. There was nothing he could do.

As you might expect, Lowry did not hit a good second shot from that disastrous and unfair lie. He proceeded to smash his club into the ground out of frustration after the shank. He also flipped the bird at his ball after he made bogey on the hole.