Slow Play

So here we are on the 1st event of the PGA tour and what is the topic of conversation ?? Slow play.

Slow play is destroying golf, both at professional and recreational levels.

If a 3 ball of 18 handicappers can play an 18 hole medal round in 3 ½   the why cant a 3 ball of professionals play 18 in 4 hours ??

Even allowing 15 minutes, which is ridicules, a hole it works out at 4 ½ hours, currently its 3 hours 15 minutes for 13 holes in Hawaii !! For a blooming 2 ball!!

So what can be done??

There are already rules in place for slow play but they are not being implemented. In order to do so you would need an official with every group. So why cant professional tours provide this ?? Seriously why cant we have a rules official who can act as time keeper with each group ??

Even the worlds number 1 golfer, Luke Donald, has taken to twitter to berate slow play.

Penalties, real penalties, need to be put into place.

1.) Ban caddies from lining up players on the tee or the fairway.
You are a professional golfer, judging direction should be part of your skill set.

2.) Yellow Card.
If a player is deemed to be slow issue a yellow card as a warning as in soccer.

3.) 2 stroke penalty.
If you receive a warning after receiving a yellow card a 2 stroke penalty will be given.

4.) DQ
If you receive 2 slow play penalties in a round a 3rd will result in disqualification. If you receive 4 during a tournament you will disqualified.

5.) Tournament Suspension
If you have been disqualified from a tournament you will be banned from the next tournament, no matter what that tournament is, including majors.

6.) Totting Up Procedures
If you receive 6 yellow cards or stroke penalties in a course of a season you will be banned for the next tournament after the 6th offence, again regardless of what that tournament is. After the ban you will only be allowed another 4 offences until the next ban.

Draconian ? Yes

Effective? Probably

Viewing figures are not dropping because of the missing Tiger but because slow play is just so damn boring!

Imagine if you miss a major because of a slow ban play?

Something needs to be done, and done soon.