Fried Egg

What is a ‘Fried Egg’ in Golf?

The term ‘Fried Egg’ is golf slang used to describe a specific lie of the golf ball in a sand bunker. In this scenario, the ball is half-buried in the sand, with the visible part of the ball resembling the yolk of a fried egg, and the surrounding sand mimicking the egg white.

This position makes the shot challenging, as the sand hampers the ball’s movement and the usual interaction between the club and the ball.

The Origin and Challenges of the ‘Fried Egg’

While the exact origin of the term ‘Fried Egg’ is unclear, it’s a phrase that vividly conveys the difficulty of this particular lie. The primary challenge in executing a shot from a ‘Fried Egg’ lie lies in the technique required to free the ball effectively from its sandy trap. Unlike a regular bunker shot, where the club slides through the sand beneath the ball, a ‘Fried Egg’ often requires a more steep and aggressive swing to ensure that the club can dig into the sand and lift the ball out.