Jordan Spieth has been struggling with his form in the 89th Masters tournament, particularly with his driver and iron play. After cracking his gamer at Pebble Beach in February, Spieth experimented with five different drivers before settling on one that was more cooperative. Despite his driver uncertainty, he managed to shoot a three-birdie 69 in the third round to move to one under for the tournament. However, Spieth admitted that his iron play had been failing him, primarily due to mud balls.
Spieth highlighted the impact of mud balls on the tournament, particularly on holes 11 and 13 at Augusta National. He expressed frustration at the taboo of discussing mud balls at the Masters, as they can significantly affect a player’s performance on certain holes. Spieth noted that while the course isn’t wet, rain on Thursday night and into Friday likely contributed to the clumping of mud on his balls. The direction in which the fairways are mowed towards the tees can also cause tee balls to dig into the turf, increasing the likelihood of mud balls.
Spieth addressed the seemingly random nature of mud balls, stating that every player has to deal with them to some extent. He described a challenging mud ball encounter after his tee shot on the 13th hole, where he had to navigate the slope and strategic shot placement to avoid a costly mistake. Despite the unwritten rule of not discussing mud balls, Spieth emphasized their impact on scores and performance, especially on certain critical holes.
The topic of mud balls at the Masters is not new, as other players like Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler have also raised concerns about their effects on play in previous tournaments. In the 2020 Masters played in November, mud balls were a talking point due to the tightly mowed fairways. Spieth, currently trailing leader Rory McIlroy by nine strokes, will be relieved to hear that there is no rain in the forecast for the weekend. Despite the challenges presented by mud balls, Spieth remains focused on his game and determined to navigate the remaining rounds of the tournament.
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