,
10 tweets,
7 min read
Read on Twitter
Simple solution for @pgatour and a way to make it still a gentleman's game. Empower marshals/rules officials to keep serious time. 1/ -> Randall's Rant: Enough slow play; golf must act now to accelerate the game golfchannel.com/news/randalls-…
@PGATOUR This is a sport, after all. You gotta deal with the natural elements, and now a pretty strict time rule (hopefully). Players tee off. Never a serious delay there as they wait for group to clear. SMACK 2/
@PGATOUR In almost every situation, a pro gets to his ball while the group in front is still on the green. Plenty of time (several minutes) to assess the lie, converse with caddy on strategy, and pick a club *before group clears*. Marshal's stopwatch starts once he sees green clear. 3/
@PGATOUR Marshal announces "play away." Tour player now has 30 seconds to hit his shot. Marshal his discretion to give up to 60 seconds for a bad lie or a tough rip around the trees or something else difficult. 4/
@PGATOUR But the tour player is constantly on the clock - and he knows it, all the time. The caddy chatter and practice swings for even a difficult shot can happen before the marshal declares "play away" and starts his stopwatch. 5/
@PGATOUR And, yes. I WAS thinking of great drama and thought process before @PhilMickelson hit his majestic 6-iron from the pine straw at 13 in 2010 at @TheMasters. One of the greatest shots of all time is still iconic if Phil started his process while group ahead was on the green. 6/
@PGATOUR @PhilMickelson @TheMasters From the moment the great @PhilMickelson walked up to take the shot, in 10 seconds the ball left his club for "the shot of his life," according to Ken Venturi. 7/
In such an extraordinary case, the marshal can give another 30 seconds. But Phil literally did his "hand twirl" as he walked up the ball, did a tiny waggle, and let it rip. If Phil can do that with @TheMasters on the line, the 68th player in the OWGR can at the John Deer. 8/
@TheMasters It is time for pro-style "ready golf" on the @PGATOUR. Listen to @BKoepka, guys. Once the green is clear, the ball should be gone in 60 seconds if you have a difficult shot, but hit in 20 seconds if on the fairway. 9/
@TheMasters @PGATOUR @BKoepka .@PGATOUR has to start enforcing right now & not be shy abt it. One slip = warning. Second violation = 1-shot penalty. Third = another shot. Fourth and beyond = 2 shots each. That will pick up the pace and end this nonsense bc it would affect a tour player's livelihood. /end
