The PGA Tour’s slow play issues have turned from bad to worse in a very short period of time. Recent events have turned the problem into a full-blown crisis. Bryson DeChambeau’s attempts to defend his snail-like pace of play look like an argument in a bad reality TV series. The “Who me?” mentality needs to stop, and the Tour’s stance on slow play needs a drastic overhaul. But even with a policy change, the onus is on the players to make the biggest changes. Otherwise, nothing will definitively change. There needs to be a systematic overview of the problem from the top down.
A Timeline Of Recent Slow Play Issues
The PGA Tour’s slow play issues have been under the microscope more than ever in the past month. It started at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush, and continued this past week at The Northern Trust.
July 21, 2019 – Final round of the 148th Open Championship
American J.B. Holmes received a heavy amount of criticism for his slow play at Portrush. While playing in the penultimate pairing, his playing partner, World number 1 Brooks Koepka, made a deliberate gesture to a rules official, complaining about Holmes’ slow pace of play.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsWalking off 12 green, Koepka stares at an official and points to his non-existent watch.
— Will Gray (@WillGrayGC) July 21, 2019
After the round, Koepka was asked about Holmes’ slow play in the press room:
“That’s what I don’t understand when it’s your turn to hit, your glove is not on, then you start thinking about it, that’s where the problem lies. It’s not that he takes that long. He doesn’t do anything until his turn. That’s the frustrating part. But he’s not the only one that does it out here.”
August 9, 2019 – Second round of The Northern Trust
A video surfaced online of Bryson DeChambeau taking over two minutes to play one shot during his round with Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood. DeChambeau took far too much time to line up an eight-foot putt, prompting strong criticism on social media.
August 10, 2019 – Third round of The Northern Trust
DeChambeau was asked about the video after he finished his third round at Liberty National and had this to say:
“It’s really kind of unfortunate the way it’s perceived because there’s a lot of other guys that take a lot of time. For me personally, it is an attack and it is something that is not me whatsoever. People don’t realize the harm that they are doing to the individuals.”
August 11, 2019 – Final round of The Northern Trust
DeChambeau reportedly told Brooks Koepka’s caddie that if Koepka had a complaint about DeChambeau’s slow play, he should speak to DeChambeau directly. That conversation reportedly continued after play completed on Sunday.
DeChambeau later released a statement on his Instagram, vowing to be a part of the solution.
Time For Change
Shortly before the final round of The Northern Trust ended, the PGA Tour released a statement, announcing plans to review the current pace of play policy. There is no doubt that this is in response to the events that transpired over the weekend. However, it doesn’t appear that changes will come immediately. The next two events are limited-field playoff events, with fields of 70 and 30 players, respectively. When the season ends, the Tour needs to take a long look at the issues and come up with a solution. The Tour’s statement acknowledges that the current policy only applies to groups that fall out of position. What needs to change is how to address which player(s) in that group are causing the problem.
One thing that is very apparent is that a fine for slow play is absolutely useless. The only thing that will get the message through to the players is a stroke penalty. Rory McIlroy had a simple solution: An initial warning, then a stroke. That puts the onus on the individual, not the group.
Final Thoughts
Despite the review of the policy and the acknowledgment of the issues from players like DeChambeau himself, there is still something that doesn’t sit right. The idea that DeChambeau feels attacked is obscene and childish. DeChambeau is one of the top golfers on the planet. He is a representative of the game’s elite. There is a responsibility to be a role model and to set an example of how to be a good pro. Part of that is holding yourself accountable for your actions. DeChambeau has done none of that. He feels bullied as if he is being singled out. That is not how a professional should act.
DeChambeau’s scientific method to make a shot decision requires a great deal of calculation and thought. That is an undisputed fact. However, the idea that it should take two minutes to figure out the speed and break of an eight-foot putt is borderline insane. DeChambeau needs to figure out how to play faster. His unique style of play cannot be an excuse, and he will continue to be criticized until he makes a significant change.
