[Photo: Adam Glanzman]
Like Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson before him, Scottie Scheffler talked about something you are not supposed to talk about at Augusta National.
Mud balls.
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After his third-round 65, Scheffler was oddly testy with the media outside of Augusta National’s clubhouse. His interview with CBS’ Amanda Balionis wasn’t quite as spicy, though he still had some things he wanted to get off his chest.
Despite having a 6-iron in his hands for his second shot into the par-5 13th hole, a club Scheffler referred to as a “scoring club”, the world No.1 failed to make birdie. Hey, given how good he is with his irons, eagle was certainly not out of the question. Could you imagine if he had pulled that off and he matched the course-record 63, to put himself at nine-under, just two shots behind?
Unfortunately, Scheffler’s ball darted immediately left off the face, a clear sign of a mud ball. And that’s not speculation. He went there, the place you’re not supposed to go unless you want a stern talking to from the green jackets:
Scottie mentions something about The Masters some players are afraid to mention:
The MUDBALLS.
Spieth ranted about this a couple years ago.
Even with no rain, the overseed is watered and kept long to slow down drives. This means mudballs.
pic.twitter.com/tpicfC69kh— Rick Golfs (@Top100Rick) April 11, 2026
As Rick Golfs pointed out, Spieth ranted about this, too. Though it was not a couple years ago, it was last year, and our Dave Shedloski covered it. Spieth went as far as to say it can determine the outcome of the tournament after his third round in 2025.
“My iron play killed me the past two days, and to be brutally honest with you, it was primarily mud balls,” Spieth said a year ago. “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.”
Spieth did add that Augusta National had done a better job of limiting them in 2025, but with the way they mow the fairways and with the amount of watering they require, mud balls are inevitable. And because this isn’t a regular PGA Tour event, players are always going to have to play the ball as it lies (with no preferred lies) at the Masters.
Another former winner, Bubba Watson, infamously shouted “MUD BALL!” after an approach into the fifth hole a few years ago.
Good news for this trio – they all have green jackets. Which means they’ll be invited back next year and for many more years to come. As for those without one of the prized coats, we’d suggest keeping the mud-ball comments to yourself.
