AUGUSTA, Ga. – We might as well be called Mud here at Augusta National for saying something perceived as critical of the Masters, but in all honesty, Jordan Spieth, 2015 champion tried to be diplomatic in his comments after the third round.
After shooting a 3-under 69 to climb to 21st place, Spieth explained how his score could have been better this week and hinted at something to watch out for. when the leaders play the back nine on Sunday afternoon.
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The problem, according to Spieth, is mud balls. Additionally, he added, it doesn’t help that players are generally not allowed to make such observations.
Spieth said that in years past, players could expect to see mud on their ball as often as 75 percent of their drives, because fairways are mowed to the grain and tee shots tend to sink into it. The problem has improved, Spieth said, but it persists and can be frustrating.
“Obviously, the lower you hit, the less chance (of mud) there is,” Spieth said. “Everyone has to deal with it, but the fact that you’re not supposed to talk about it is a little frustrating because it makes a difference. It can make a difference in scores on some holes.”
Spieth cited several par 5s, which, especially on Sunday, are where players can make significant moves in the leaderboard – up or down.
“It’s definitely getting better,” Spieth said. “But it’s like keyholes, when they throw — even on 8, it’s going to go in, even if it’s a downhill shot.
“I’m surprised on 11 (par 4), but you’ll get them a lot of times on 13 and 15 (par 5), and it’s like, ‘All right, well, here we go.’ »
Spieth has a remarkable track record here at Augusta National, tying for second in his first Masters, 2014, at age 20; win next year; tied for second place in 2016; and finish third in 2018 and 2021.
Spieth returned to the PGA Tour just two months ago, after wrist surgery last fall. He has three top-12 performances this season and his round Saturday here was another encouraging sign. It was his first bogey-free round here since 2016.
Spieth was scheduled to start his final round at 11:40 a.m. Dallas time, and perhaps getting rid of the mud ball problem on his chest would clear his head for a strong finish.
“My iron play has been killing me the last couple of days, and to be completely honest with you, it was mostly mudballs,” he said Saturday.
“It’s so frustrating because you can’t talk about it here. You’re not supposed to talk about it. Mud balls can affect this tournament significantly, especially when you get a lot of them on 11 and 13. They’re just daggers on those two holes.
“There’s less than normal, but I still had them today on these holes too. I had them yesterday on these holes. It’s something to watch out for, for sure for the lead groups, because you just have to play very far away from trouble or fold when you normally go into it, just random things, because it will affect it significantly.
“And if you’re on the wrong side of the hole, you’re either in the water or you almost can’t make par, depending on what hole it is.”
