Paul McGinley did not agree one little bit with a claim that Scottie Scheffler made after the first round of The PGA Championship.
Scheffler got his PGA Championship off to a very solid start, after shooting an opening round of two-under par 69 at Quail Hollow.
Many of the big names struggled in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday – the course certainly wasn’t playing easy, with the incredibly difficult combination of soft fairways and rock hard greens.
Scheffler was said to be in imperious form during practice ahead of The PGA Championship, but he wasn’t at his best on day one.
That said, he still posted an impressive round of 69.
However, he could have been so much better than two-under-par after day one.
Paul McGinley disagrees with what Scottie Scheffler said after day one at the PGA Championship
McGinley was in no mood to agree with Scheffler for the sake of it, after the American’s opening round at Quail Hollow on Thursday.
Scheffler suggested that the decision to play the ball down at the PGA Championship cost him two shots, after his double bogey on the 16th hole, his seventh of the day.
However, McGinley completely disagreed with the two-time major champion.
When speaking on Sky Sports in the UK, Wayne Riley suggested that playing early on Thursday morning was a distinct disadvantage.
“He said, The thing is, it was a distinct disadvantage to play this morning. I just don’t think that it would have been a bad thing. They have done it before, preferred lies. It had to be fair. This afternoon we are not getting anywhere near as many mud balls with the warm wind which is blowing across Quail Hollow, driving this place out. Is that fair? The guys this morning with the moisture had to suffer mud climbing all over the ball and these guys this afternoon hardly any of it.
“I get it from both ends. Good scoring this morning was there to be had somewhat but I see both sides of the coin.
“But if it was me I would have made it preferred lies today, clean and place. I think it was also Scottie having a bit of a whinge.“
McGinley countered that argument though.
The Irishman said, “Only once in major championship history have we had preferred lies. I don’t think it warranted it, that would have been my view. I think part and parcel of major championships is a test and difficulty and the challenges and if you do have a muddier ball it is a challenge and you have to be a little bit more conservative. Yes, you have mud on the ball on 16 and you have to say the chances are I can’t take on this flag.
“That would be my view. We are seeing a lot of this from current players, really challenging authority and not being afraid to voice decisions which don’t go their way. We saw Morikawa a couple of months ago saying he didn’t owe anybody anything and didn’t need to do an interview. There seems to be a lot of revolt from the players to authority at the minute and this is another example of it.“
McGinley got it so wrong with criticism of Scheffler
Yes, golf is about the challenge, of course it is.
However, where does a tough challenge all of a sudden become an unfair one?
The PGA’s decision to play the ball down was a poor one. It meant that those teeing off in the afternoon had a huge advantage over the early starters.
The point of a tough and challenging golf course is to test every player in similar fashion. However, the difference between teeing off in the morning and the afternoon was simply too great on Thursday at Quail Hollow.
Scheffler hit a beautiful drive down the 16th hole at The PGA Championship, but his ball was covered in mud after landing in the fairway.
That cost him at least one shot, probably two.
And I don’t see any way that that can be considered a fair test.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
