All articles tagged with #slow play
Ryan Fox says on the Fore Play Podcast that not being ready to hit is a bigger irritant on the PGA Tour than slow play, criticizing players who delay by skipping prep talks with their caddie or not studying the putt; he emphasizes fast play as part of his style, while noting the Tour has been weighing measures to curb slow play after a rocky start to the 2025 season.
Rory McIlroy paused on the 10th tee amid the PGA Championship’s slow pace and tough winds to calm himself, a moment that became a viral meme as fans captioned it online; he finished the round 1-over and earned a spot in the weekend lineup despite entering the day outside the cut.
Rory McIlroy’s second round at the PGA Championship, where his 67 came amid extended delays, highlighted slow pace caused by bottlenecks and tough conditions at Aronimink. He acknowledged the round was slow but noted it’s expected at majors, pointing to specific pinch points near the 8th and 10th greens and hoping two-ball formats on the weekend could help speed things up.
Bryson DeChambeau cried after winning LIV Golf’s South Africa event in dramatic fashion, hitting a 285-yard 12-foot second shot from a muddy lie to seal the playoff over Jon Rahm. Meanwhile Matt Fitzpatrick outlasted Adrien Dumont de Chassart at the Valspar Championship, birdieing the 72nd hole to win by one amid a widely noted pace-of-play controversy. The piece also touts an ongoing golf-wins betting heater as it heads toward the Masters.
Scottie Scheffler was at the center of a slow-play debate after a viral video showed him taking around five minutes before hitting his second shot 52 yards from the 14th hole at the PGA Championship. It remains unclear about the true reason behind Scheffler’s delay, though, as it could be a combination of both slow play and the design around the 14th hole at Oak Hill Country Club. Scheffler's caddie, Ted Scott, provided some different context behind the situation, saying that they were letting the group in front on the short par 4 finish up putting. Brooks Koepka, who was paired with Scheffler, had previously said that he would start stroking players if they took too long before hitting their shot.
Matthew Fitzpatrick, the winner of RBC Heritage, has criticized the PGA Tour's pace of play, calling it "truly appalling." He believes that golfers should complete a round in four hours, with four and a half hours being the maximum for a three-ball. This comes after Brooks Koepka indirectly called out Patrick Cantlay for slow play at the Masters. Cantlay was also put on the clock during the RBC Heritage. Fitzpatrick believes that despite the ongoing conversation about slow play, nothing will be done to address the issue.
Rory McIlroy risks losing $3 million of his $12 million Player Impact Program bonus after withdrawing from two designated events, including this week's RBC Heritage. The PGA Tour may waive or adjust eligibility requirements based on extraordinary circumstances, but McIlroy has not disclosed the reason for his withdrawal. Slow play is becoming a leading topic again, with the final round of the Masters taking nearly five hours in twosomes. The Asian Tour is expanding in the U.K., with the International Series event to be held in the London area and Scotland this year.
Patrick Cantlay responds to Brooks Koepka's criticism of his slow play during the final round of the Masters, saying that slow play was an issue for everyone. Koepka indirectly called out Cantlay and playing partner Viktor Hovland for being "brutally slow" during the round. Cantlay finished T14 on the week, while Hovland finished T7. Cantlay attributes slow play to the difficulty of Augusta National's greens and the inconsistent wind.