“In response to data indicating fans want to see winning scores closer to par, the PGA Tour rules committee will adjust its course setup approach to encourage more risk/reward moments throughout each round,” this month’s Greensheet, which was sent to the golfers, read. This will only increase the drama. Plus, the PGA Tour initiated changes at the 2025 Tour Championship, mostly focused on the end of the starting-strokes era as a way of making things more challenging at East Lake Golf Club. But Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate.

The newsletter explained that the target green speeds were 13 ½ on the Stimpmeter. Also, the primary rough height would be 3 ½ inches—about half an inch more than the past years. The thunderstorms and rain kept the toughening at bay, and the preferred lies rule has been employed for all three rounds.

Taking to X, the official account of PGA TOUR Communications tweeted, “Preferred lies will be in effect for round three of the TOUR Championship.” However, many golf purists were triggered once again. A section of fans are known to hate the rule because it softens the challenge and feels like the Tour is sanitizing the game instead of letting golfers grind it out. This disdain was witnessed during the first round when the fans went overboard with their criticism, calling the Tour a “joke” and an “unserious organization.”

Now, here’s where the whole thing gets tricky. The weather at East Lake hasn’t exactly been disastrous. On Thursday, it was humid but playable, with only light showers in pockets. Friday was forecast to be stormy, and tee times were bumped up three hours, but the rain never truly wrecked play. The field got 18 holes in without serious delays. Saturday’s forecast again has called for scattered thunderstorms and heavy humidity, with highs around 78°, but conditions on the ground before the start of the play weren’t too bad.

Under the preferred lies rule, a player can:

1. Mark the position of the ball (it needs to be in the fairway).
2. Lift it from there.
3. Clean the ball if it has mud on it.
4. Place it within a specific distance (mostly within one club length or six inches of the original spot), but not near the hole.

So the question is whether the Tour is being overtly cautious or simply bending the rules in a way that changes the competition. On one side, officials can argue they’re pre-empting soggy fairways and potential mud balls. On the other hand, fans see three straight days of preferred lies without unplayable weather and think the PGA Tour is watering down its own flagship finale. What did fans say about this?

Golf fans share their doubts

Preferred lies have been at the centre of controversy for the PGA Tour this season. On one hand, the tour is criticized for using it, and also for not using it. For instance, the rule was not applied at Quail Hollow earlier this year and that rubbed Scottie Scheffler the wrong way. “It’s one of those deals where it’s frustrating to hit the ball in the middle of the fairway and get mud on it and have no idea where it’s going to go. But I don’t make the rules. I just have to deal with the consequences of those rules,” he had said. It cost him a couple of shots.

Regardless, fans haven’t been on the same page as Scheffler when it comes to the Tour Championship. With Round 3 underway, the Tour has once again implemented preferred lies, stirring the golf community. Fans wrote:

• “Just wire Scottie all the money now.”
• “This preferred lie situation at the Tour Championship is killing me. Play it as it lies.”

But Tommy Fleetwood is one the same page as Scheffler was months ago. When asked about the muddy conditions at East Lake, the golfer opined that it was not fair to play when the ball was drenched in mud and the soft soil around it. However, a follow-up question made his stance even more clear. Would chaos ensue at the course if the preferred lies rule was not applied? “I have a feeling it might, yeah,” he shared.

• “Meanwhile, there’s some great match play going on in Michigan,” a fan commented, bringing up PGA Tour’s rival LIV Golf. LIV is conducting its Team Championship in Michigan.

All that said, what does the weather say for Sunday; the final day of the Championship? Sunday’s forecast at East Lake is far from perfect, but it isn’t unplayable either. Rain chances drop to about 40 percent, though scattered afternoon thunderstorms could still pop up. Temperatures are set to range between 66-82° F with sticky humidity around 76 percent, and winds will stay on the lighter side at 5-10 mph. The National Weather Service has even flagged a Flood Watch through early Sunday morning, warning of localized downpours in central and eastern Georgia. In short, it will be a warm, muggy day with the threat of storms hanging around.

• “PGA Tour is so unserious. Preferred lies with no rain for hours is criminal.”
• “I don’t think the PGA Tour should ever have preferred lies.”

That leaves the PGA Tour with a decision to make. After three straight rounds of lift, clean, and place, does it really need to extend preferred lies into the finale? The softer setup could be justified if afternoon storms bog down the fairways, but with firmer conditions likely in the morning, critics will see it as overkill. What do you think?