The 2026 Masters began under conditions that had the entire field on edge even before the first shot was struck. Augusta, Georgia, was experiencing a severe drought. No significant rain had fallen for a week heading into the tournament, and none was expected for the remainder of the week. Jordan Spieth, the 2015 Masters champion, cautioned that it would be a more challenging green-in-regulation year and anticipated the course to go brown and crusty as the week went on.
However, by Friday morning, things were different, and the forecast did not explain this sudden change in conditions.
Lee Westwood, former World No. 1, two-time Ryder Cup points leader, and a man who has walked Augusta’s fairway across more than two decades of the Masters appearances, recently took to X. He posted, “Thoroughly enjoyed the first couple of days. Hopefully, they stop putting water in it now, and it gets firm and fiery.”
The forecast had predicted 2026 to be the first dry Masters in 15 years, and Thursday’s conditions certainly reflected that. The course was firm, with the ground hardening, and players were preparing for a genuine test.
I only really watch 3 tournaments. The Masters, The Open & The Ryder Cup. Thoroughly enjoyed the first couple of days. Hopefully they stop putting water on it now and it gets firm and firey
— Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) April 11, 2026
Round 1 ended with a scoring average as low as the opening round since 2017, and no player finished bogey-free. The course was brutal and unforgiving. Three players also scored a 9 on the par-5 15th hole, marking the first occurrence of this in the opening round since 1998. However, what they encountered on Friday morning was a different golf course altogether.
The average score for the field in round one was 74.648, which is over two and a half strokes above par. By Friday, this average dropped to 72.846, showing nearly a two-stroke improvement despite temperatures being higher than on Thursday, with no rain, which led people to believe that Augusta had intervened. Then, during Sky Sports’ second-round coverage, cameras captured greenkeepers hosing down the putting surface at the par-3 12th hole on Friday morning.
Now, the change has sparked a strong reaction from fans, with many taking to social media to voice clear disagreement with the softer greens.
Golf Fans Push Back as Augusta National Faces Backlash Over Softened Greens
The frustration didn’t just stay on the course. Golf commentator and analyst Tron Carter posted on X on Friday night: “Greens too receptive today. Can’t do that again tonight. Turn the water off.”
Augusta National had spent the week being celebrated for presenting a true test – firm, fast, and unforgiving. However, softening the greens mid-tournament felt like a departure from that standard without explanation. Another patron also replied to the thread “Concerning. Turn the water off.”
The comment reflected what Scottie Scheffler had described walking off the course. World No. 1 had opened with a two-under 70 and shot a second-round 74. After the round, he didn’t attribute it to the poor ball-striking; he pointed to the greens.
“I was surprised at the greens. You know, I felt like the greens would get firmer as the week went on, but I think they may have saw how difficult it was late in the day yesterday, that they, it felt like they softened them up a bit today, but I couldn’t imagine them doing that the rest of the weekend,” Scheffler said.
This led to his second-worst score in 26 rounds at Augusta National, with him on level par 144 at the tournament’s midway point, further snapping the third-longest streak in Masters history of rounds at par or below at 11.
Another golf media figure responded: “Crank the sub-air.”
The comment made a direct reference to Augusta National’s underground drainage system. The sub-air system is a controllable mechanism that Augusta National uses, allowing it to add or remove moisture as needed.
The consensus extended to the players who had gone out earliest on Friday and felt the change most acutely. Andrew Novak, playing his first Masters, shot 76 and missed the cut. Novak said that he was not at all prepared for how slow the greens were.
“I three-putted four times early today because I was not prepared at all for how slow the greens were,” said Novak.
Tyrrell Hatton, who shot 66 and hit every green in regulation, also confirmed the change. He noted the greens were softer in the morning compared to late Thursday and expected them to firm up again later in the day.
Another fan put the broader suspicion on record directly: “Yeah, what the hell happened? Suddenly, greens look receptive. Approach shots holding the green? Makes you wonder if this was for a Rory storyline… conditions look much easier for him today. With no rain and it being hot, it just doesn’t make sense how this flipped overnight.”
However, Augusta may not have had much choice in the matter. With Georgia experiencing a severe drought and temperatures expected to reach 86 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, the conditions were pushing the greens to the point of being genuinely unplayable. Climate patterns across Southeast South America have made this kind of intervention increasingly necessary rather than exceptional.
Still and all, whether the communication surrounding this issue was handled well is another question entirely.
