BIRMINGHAM, Ala. After three days scrambling in rain to try to prepare for the U.S. Womens Open, players relished the sun breaking through early for Thursdays start at Shoal Creek.The big question was how the soggy conditions would affect the championshipWould the USGAs requirement that competitors play the ball as it lies add too much luck to the outcome?Would there be a lot of mud balls?The answer depended on whom you talked to.I'm not going to lie, there's certainly mud balls on pretty much every single shot, Mel Reid said after opening with a 2-under-par 70. It's not ideal, but what can you do? You just got to get on with it.Michelle Wie didnt see as much mud as Reid.Considering how much rain it got, I don't think it was that bad, really, Wie said after opening with a 69.Angela Stanford may not have seen as many mud balls as she expected, but they were factors when she got them.
Full-field scores from the U.S. Womens Open
Angela had a huge clump of mud on her ball at the fourth hole, Mo Martin said. She had a rules official come out and take a picture of it.Stanford got that mud ball after her tee shot, which left her with 185 yards from the hole.She came up 30 yards short with her approach, failing to reach the green.There was a lot of mud on the ball, Stanford said.At days end, heres one thing all three agreed upon: Shoal Creeks grounds crew did a remarkable job getting the course ready after 4.7 inches of rain fell on it in the three days leading to Thursdays start.The greens staff did an amazing job, Wie said. They are miracle workers.Reid: I have got to give them credit. The staff here has done an exceptional job to get it in the shape that it is.Stanford: Its a great golf course. Its fun to play. The greens are in great shape.There were challenges in that large swath of thin, bare grass in the landing zone for the layup shot at the 17th, a 533-yard par 5. While the USGA marked a number of areas as ground under repair, that wasnt one of them.Stanford laid up in it, with her ball settling on almost no grass in a mushy, sandy lie, leaving her a daunting sand wedge over water from 97 yards.I can make my peace with the mud balls, but that area in the 17th fairway, thats ridiculous, Stanford said. Theres just such a lack of grass. I think they got that wrong. That should be marked.Stanford asked for one of the roving officials with the power to declare lies as ground under repair this week for a ruling.The official in our group said she could call a rover, but they werent going to give me relief, Stanford said.So Stanford played the shot. Players were concerned at weeks start that luck would become too much of a factor if lift, clean and place wasnt implemented in these conditions.Stanford did get some luck there, but not the kind she expected.I got really lucky, Stanford said. I bladed a sand wedge to 2 feet.
That had players buzzing on the range over the prospect of dealing with mud balls on a course that has been hit with almost 6 inches of rain in the last week, 2.41 inches in a 24-hour period with
Every Baseball Is Rubbed with This Special Mud Before It Gets
The U.S. Open is confusing and confounding enough. Now enter golf's version of Russian roulette known as the mud ball. Since the USGA is on firm record that during this week's waterlogged U.S
The Mud Connector | TMC Mudlist, Muds, Text-Games and Reviews
Yes, there were mud balls Thursday at the U.S. Women's Open, but players were impressed by the conditions at Shoal Creek.
Despite mud balls, players impressed with conditions
Some players were unhappy to tee off on schedule for the PGA Championship's second round, considering Baltusrol received more than an inch of rain throughout the morning.
USGA, players may be headed for clash over mud in U.S. Women
Mud Ball - When soil or other debris stick to the golf ball, which could affect the ball's performance, normal rules of golf allow the golfer to lift, clean and then replace the ball in its original place. This allowance may not be permitted though if stated in the rules of the day or the rules of that particular course.
Baseball, America's past past time, is a pretty quirky game with quirkier players and quirkiest traditions. The tradition of manually rubbing this special mud into balls started in the 1950's
The mystery of the mud ball - Golf Digest
Just another couple quick notes: If you log in and see a bunch of players, don't be impressed. This MUD has been around for almost 18 years now and botting is completely legal. There are 4-5 "active" players out of the 30-something that are logged in at a time, and now that'll be 2 less since my wife are gone.
Harvesting baseball's 'magic mud' - CNN.com
Despite mud balls, players impressed with conditions
Despite mud balls, players impressed with conditions. Share this post. Despite mud balls, players impressed with conditions. Source: Golf Channel Published on 2018-05-31
PGA Championship 2016: Players unhappy with decision to play
Oct 18, 2005 · There's a special technique to rubbing up a baseball. The mud - and a little water - goes on the leather, but not the seams. If it's not done right, the pitcher will throw the ball back to the umpire.
Mud Ball, Golf Term - golf-info-guide.com
Harvesting baseball's 'magic mud' starting tonight, will begin with a ball rubbed with mud and spit; Chapman became the first and only player killed by a pitch in Major League history.
The dirt on baseball - CSMonitor.com
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