Who loves the game being stretched due to slow play? We believe no one. Earlier, fans and players were showing concerns about it. With fans being vocal on social media, players shared an interactive way to tackle this issue. But unfortunately, nothing changed. However, there is an addition to the list, i.e. caddies.
Now with the latest episode of the 19th Uncut question-and-answer video on YouTube, Billy Foster has also shared his concern along with naming the slowest players on the course. Matt Fitzpatrick’s caddie answering the question said, “Currently, Tom Kim. Brian Harman, he has 12 [wiggles] before he hits it. You get dizzy watching him.”
Continuing further, he praised the players but still asked to play faster. “They are good players, great players, it takes all types. But get on with it lads, will you.” With so many of the players being accused of slow play, let’s take a look at the top slowest players and their concerning play.
1) Brian Harman
As shared by Foster in the video, Harman has been the slowest in the league due to his wiggles and sometimes taking longer to hit. Earlier during THE PLAYERS 2024, Brian Harman, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Adam Scott were grouped together, and Harman took 3 minutes to hit the 96-yard shot.
After the shot, even fans were angry about him taking extra time as some wrote on the post, “Was watching him play a few weeks ago and counted 15 waggles before actually hitting the ball.”
2) Tom Kim
Not far away, the 22-year-old Tom Kim has also been on the radar of fans. While, unlike the other slow-paced players, fans have pointed out his slow pace between the shots. The young professional has showcased a great feat of play since he turned pro in 2018 by winning 3 PGA Tour titles. But there are times when the slow play was identified easily.
‘A player is permitted 40 seconds to play a stroke and includes the first to play from the teeing ground, from the fairway and from around and on the putting green’.
Kim was first to play on the 13th and began this soporific process 47 seconds before the video starts.
Zzzz. pic.twitter.com/hCVHLSddw1
— TheGolfDivoTee
(@TheGolfDivoTee) June 24, 2024
Take the example of the Travelers Championship in 2024. Kim was the first player to tee off the 13th hole. As per the rule book, 40 seconds are allotted to the player. However, the golfer took 1:23 minutes to take the shot. A video for the same was shared from an account named TheGolfDivoTee on X.
3) Patrick Cantlay
The 32-year-old has become a constant in the list of the slowest players because of his playing style. The golfer has multiple instances where fans criticized him for slow play. Notably enough at the 2023 Masters, which gathers the most viewership. The American professional’s average shot time is 38 seconds, which is just short of the maximum time allotted. Even though, fans saw the timer cross 2 minutes for Patrick Cantlay.
Now with the game being affected and the league taking the blow with decreasing viewership. The PGA Tour might make the rules stricter with bigger penalties to avoid slow play. The last two events at the PGA Tour, including the American Express and the Sentry, saw 5 hours plus play for the final round. Now with the fans and players concerned about it. Can the PGA Tour amend new rules for slow play? What are your thoughts about it? Share with us in the comments section below.
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