Scottie Scheffler has shared what he’s been trying to do to prevent a constant issue he’s been facing on the fairways at the Memorial Tournament.
The world number one is in a commanding position heading into the weekend after carding a four-under 68 on a windy day at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Scheffler sits three shots clear of Adam Hadwin and Viktor Hovland and looks well-placed to land his fifth PGA Tour win of 2024.
Despite his dominant position, the American has faced problems on the fairways at the Memorial – something he highlighted in his post-round press conference.
Scottie Scheffler shares what he’s doing to prevent constant fairway issue
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After wet weather on Wednesday, the fairways at Muirfield Village have caused mud balls to become a frequent occurrence.
Clumps of mud on the ball can heavily impact approach shots. Scheffler has claimed he’s contemplating hitting more knuckleballs to reduce the likelihood of his ball gathering mud upon landing.
Scheffler explained: “If I could figure out how to not get mud balls, I would do it! That’s a thought for sure [hitting a knuckleball].
“I’ve tried at times to even hit it lower, hoping that it wouldn’t go as deep into the ground, but I would still get mud balls then. Really, I try and continue to execute the shots and take the bad breaks as I get them.”
Despite the mud ball issue, Scheffler said he’s just trying to play his own game, “hoping” mud doesn’t gather on his ball too frequently.
He added: “Number five is a hole where you almost need spin off the tee because the fairway is so narrow up there. Really, I am trying to control my distance more than trying to hit it far. If I was trying to knuckle one, it would be me trying to hit it further on that specific hole. Really, I am just trying to hit the perfect shot to keep the ball in play and hoping I don’t get mud on it.”
Mud balls won’t be an issue at Pinehurst No.2 for next week’s U.S. Open
Considering Scheffler sits three shots clear at the top of the leaderboard, the mud ball issue doesn’t seem to be impacting him too much.
The world number one appears to be in no mood to drop his high standards at the moment.
And, ahead of next week’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No.2, it would take a brave man to root against the American landing his third major title.
On the North Carolina track, mud balls won’t be an issue to contend with. Pinehurst’s typically fast fairways and greens will provide a completely different test to Muirfield Village this week, but a challenge Scheffler will no doubt take in his stride.
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