PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. _ It was a muddy day in the fairways of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
The fairways are soft, too soft in the minds of some participants in The Players Championship, who have watched their golf balls either embed in the grass or break the turf enough to leave small globs of mud.
The best players in the world hate that. Mud on the right side of the ball cause shots to veer left, and vice-versa. Mud on the top, bottom or sides, facing either down the fairway or back to the tee, is anyone's guess.
"It's tough I had a hard time," said Dustin Johnson, who shot 70. "It's been every day. I wish I had the answer. I'm sure the Tour wishes they did, too. It's on every hole."
Patrick Cantlay, who fired a 67, said the course bordered on too easy, at least for one day.
"I was a little surprised at how soft the fairways were, especially getting all those mud balls," he said. "I don't think the golf course should ever play like that. I think if the conditions stay how they are, with light breezes, you're going to see low numbers, and that's kind of normal for this place."
