Angry Scottie Scheffler unloads (!) on PGA Championship rules decision

Scottie Scheffler was upset with the decision by the PGA of America to proceed without using preferred lies from the fairways in round one of the PGA Championship. 

The reigning World No.1 managed to card a 2-under 69 in the opening round of the second men's major of the year whilst playing alongside newly-crowned Masters champ Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. 

Torrential downpours earlier in the week at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina heavily impacted practice rounds. 

It led to speculation the PGA of America would let golfers in the field use preferred lies from the fairway, but last night a spokesperson confirmed they would not given the course was 'drying by the hour'. 

Scheffler told reporters on Thursday afternoon he felt as though he was cost a few shots because of mud balls. 

The American, 28, prefaced his comments by saying that in links golf there is no need to 'play the ball up'. 

"The course could be flooded under water and the ball is still going bounce somehow because of the way the turf is and the ground underneath the turf," he said. 

Scheffler continued: "In American golf it's significantly different. When you have overseeded fairways that are not sand capped, there's going to be a lot of mud on the ball, and that's just part of it. 

"When you think about the purest test of golf, I don't personally think that hitting the ball in the middle of the fairway you should get punished for."

Scheffler said he understood golf purists would argue golfers should 'play it as it lies'. 

He added: "But I don't think they understand what it's like literally working your entire life to learn how to hit a golf ball and control it and hit shots and control distance, and all of a sudden due to a rules decision that is completely taken away from us by chance.

"In golf, there's enough luck throughout a 72-hole tournament that I don't think the story should be whether or not the ball is played up or down. 

"When I look at golf tournaments, I want the purest, fairest test of golf, and in my opinion maybe the ball today should have been played up.

"But like I said, I don't make the rules. I deal with what the rules decisions are. I could have let that bother me today when you got a mud ball and it cost me a couple shots. 

"It cost me possibly two shots on one hole, and if I let that bother me, it could cost me five shots the rest of the round. 

"But today I was proud of how I stayed in there, didn't let it get to me and was able to play some solid golf on a day in which I was a bit all over the place and still post a score."

Watch:

Xander Schauffele backs up Scheffler

Scheffler's playing partner Xander Schauffele was also disappointed the decision. 

The defending champion carded a 1-over 72 on day one. 

"I wouldn't want to go in the locker room because I'm sure a lot of guys aren't super happy with sort of the conditions there," he said.  

"I feel like the grass is so good, there is no real advantage to cleaning your ball in the fairway. The course is completely tipped out.

"It sucks that you're kind of 50/50 once you hit the fairway."