Jordan Spieth Talks Mud Balls at the Masters Following Mixed Round

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Jordan Spieth faced challenges with his driver and iron play during the third round of the Masters on Saturday, ultimately finishing with a score of 69 and sitting at one under for the tournament.

Spieth, who cracked his main driver during the Pebble Beach tournament in February, has tried out five different clubs since. “I was in one that had the lefts the first day, so then I went back to another one,” he said about his performance after shooting a one-over 73 in the first round.

Despite the driver uncertainty, Spieth highlighted his struggles with iron play, which he attributes to mud balls. “My iron play killed me the last two days, and to be brutally honest with you, it was primarily mud balls,” he said. Mud balls occur when the ball gathers mud during play, particularly affecting shots on holes 11 and 13 at Augusta National.

During a press conference after the round, Spieth expressed frustration with the issue, stating, “You can’t talk about them here. You’re not supposed to talk about them. Mud balls can affect this tournament significantly, especially on those two holes. They’re just daggers on those two holes.”

The course conditions have been challenging, especially after rain fell Thursday night into Friday. Spieth noted that the direction the fairways are mowed leaves tee shots more prone to mud collecting on the ball. “A lot of times you have it on 75 percent of your drives,” he explained.

When questioned about why some players might be more affected by mud balls than others, Spieth replied, “I think it’s just kind of random. Obviously the lower you hit it, the less chance you have of mud balls. Every person is dealing with it, but the fact that you’re not supposed to talk about it is a bit frustrating.”

Looking back on a specific incident during his round, Spieth recalled dealing with a particularly troublesome mud ball on hole 13. “The mud was adhered to the left side of my ball, which made it go right. But then you’re on a slope that makes it go left,” he said about his strategy to adjust for the mud. He executed a shot he described as “the best swing of the day,” successfully landing the ball on the green.

Spieth is not alone in his observations. Other players have also shared their experiences, with past Masters champions mentioning similar challenges. Two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson expressed exasperation by yelling, “Mud! Are you kidding me?!” following a shot impacted by a mud ball. In the 2020 Masters, Rickie Fowler reported difficulty with mud balls, raising awareness of how they pose challenges for players.

As of now, Spieth sits nine strokes behind the tournament leader Rory McIlroy. He ends his round with hope as forecasters predict dry conditions for the weekend, which may alleviate some mudball issues.