These Guys Are (Slightly) Faster!

Five hours and 17 minutes for the Northern Trust Open final round, breaking Saturday's five hour and 20 minute marathon. The people were heard.

Comments

[Jordan]

Was watching the final round with my five and seven year old. My seven year old said, "Why do they take so long. Just hit it." Ah the mind of a child.

[JRP]

"the people were heard"

Classic.

[MRP]

I've only watched a minute or two of professional golf this year on tv. It was a Kapalua. I had the sound off and was just sitting there looking at the beautiful course. It really was quite something, but the play was so agonizingly slow it was driving me insane.

Then I watched Jonathan Byrd (again with the sound off) take about 3 practice swings. Go to his bag for another club. Take about 3 more practices swings. Check the wind. Set up. And finally, he took a real shot. He thinned it and hit it way over the green...quite frankly it was akin to a shot I might hit. And I thought, he went through all those gyrations and wasted so much time for THAT! Ugh. I flipped the channel and haven't tuned in to another event since.

I'm sure I'll watch some of the Masters, but not much more until then. The pro game is just too painfully slow to watch.

[JW]

For threesomes and a split tee start, 5 hours and 15 mins is actually fast.

Someone explain to me why this is a big deal in pro golf. Hardly anything you watch on TV is live. Hear me again--what you're watching on TV is NOT LIVE. OK, the networks get fooled from time to time by Furyk's pump fake or JB Holmes plumb-bombing a 12 incher, but for the most part the slow play you see is during the last five holes on Sunday. And guess what--these guys are playing for hundreds of thousands of dollars, their livliehoods, and perhaps most importantly for the younger guys--their future ability to participate and compete. Cut them some slack. And having been to probably 50+ tour events and majors I've never once thought slow play impeded my enjoyment of the event. (Sergio at the 2002 US Open at Bethpage being an exception)

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

No, JW. According to JB Holmes his own self, it's "a million dollars" and he can therefore play as slowly as he damn well pleases. So it's all good.

[JW]

Ky's ghost-

I hit send too soon. I watched JB for a few holes at the AT&T at Aronimink last year....and he did have a negative impact on my enjoyment of the event. I believe we were drinking about two beers a hole folliowing his group. There's not a slower golfer anywhere except maybe Crane or Na.

That said, I still think it's silly to bitch about slow play on Tour as if this is the Saturday morning five dollar ball toss at your local club.

Totally unrelated--enjoy your Georgia slant. I'm a displaced Bulldawg in Philly. I would bet we have some mutual acquaintances judging from your posts here.

[DL]

Watson, Wadkins, Trevino. Fast and Good. Love those guys.
Who are some modern fast players ?? Chris Riley is really quick. Brandt Snedeker ?
Who else?

[Jordan]

DL:

In 2009, Cabrera, Glover, and Yang all won majors. And they all played fast in those majors. Tom Watson almost won the Open Championship that year. Which would have made it grand slam of fast play.

In any event, if you can win a major playing fast. Then you can certainly win the LA Open playing fast.

[digsouth]

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.

[Used to be Former S&T convert]

Public humiliation is the only decent remedy. Geoff has noted that the Tour has Shotlink data that identifies slow players and their times. If they posted that stuff on the web, put that stuff on the electronic scoreboards and encouraged the announcers to comment on slow players, it could change the way tour players think about slow play.

Just think how it would affect all those slow junior/college golfers watching a broadcast if McCord and crew were making fun JB....taking about how slow he is, commenting on some of his 2:10 tap ins. Putting a clock on the screen and playing Jeopardy music.

[digsouth]

@Used to be, etc

Yea, they could show footage of a glacier, a cake baking, a turtle, etc.

Humiliation and several stroke penalties. I mean the shot clock deal is imminent without common sense , soon.

[chico]

Digs-dont know if its the same over there but the pace of play rules on the Euro Tour are written by the tour committee-yes you've guessed-the players!They are quite hard to fall foul of.
You are allowed 40 seconds to play(a bit longer for first to hit) but you can only be timed if you are over your allotted time and out of position re the game in front.If you were 'in position' for your 2nd shot then you couldn't be penalised even if you took 5 mins to hit your putt.VERY frustrating!
I'm told that Slugger doesn't see slow play as a big problem-that surprises me.