'Glacially Slow' Play Reignites Slow Play Debate in Golf

"To put it kindly, it was glacially slow play." That was how an NBC course commentator described Adrien Dumont de Chassart (26, Belgium) during the PGA Tour Valspar Championship, which concluded Sunday (Korea time). The player paired with Dumont de Chassart that day was none other than the eventual winner, Matt Fitzpatrick (31, England). Fitzpatrick overcame not only the course's notorious "Snake Pit" (holes 16 through 18) but also his playing partner's slow play to claim the title. The final round took place at the Copperhead Course (par 71) at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida. Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, entered the day tied for fourth through three rounds, teeing off in the third-to-last group alongside Dumont de Chassart. Korea's Im Sung-jae, who had led for three consecutive days, was placed in the final championship group. Dumont de Chassart, a PGA Tour rookie who earned two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, set an unsettled tone from the start by carding a triple bogey on the opening hole. Fitzpatrick's patience with his playing partner's sluggish pace reached its limit after the 11th hole (par 5). On that hole, Dumont de Chassart sent his tee shot into the left rough and then weaved through trees before finally reaching the green in five strokes. Fitzpatrick hit his second and third shots first, walked onto the green, and still had to wait a considerable time for Dumont de Chassart to arrive. Fitzpatrick complained to a rules official about the pace of play, but no penalty was issued. After securing the victory, Fitzpatrick did not name Dumont de Chassart directly in his press conference but said, "It was just too slow today. It was really frustrating." He added, "It felt like the round kept stopping and starting." He reflected further: "Especially when you're playing well or competing to win, you need to focus even more, but having to speed up to catch the group ahead or get back into position because of [a playing partner's slow play] definitely broke my rhythm for two or three holes." Despite the disruption, Fitzpatrick maintained his composure. He birdied the 15th hole (par 3), and on the 18th hole (par 4) — where he was tied for the lead with David Lipsky (United States) — he sank a four-meter birdie putt to seal a one-stroke victory. Dumont de Chassart shot 3-over-par on the day and finished tied for 26th. Slow play in golf is hardly a new issue, but it has resurfaced as a prominent controversy this year after multiple incidents. At the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open, the final group's round approached six hours. At the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, winner Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) had to endure a final round lasting more than five hours and 30 minutes. The severity of slow play lies in the fact that it is never just an individual matter. As Fitzpatrick's case demonstrated, it can disrupt a playing partner's rhythm. Given the nature of golf, where groups proceed in succession on the course, the ripple effect of one slow group grows larger toward the back of the field, extending overall playing time. The biggest problem is that drawn-out rounds drive away fans and viewers. Conversely, a brisk pace of play can be a key to the sport's commercial appeal. The fact that professional baseball saw rising attendance and higher television ratings after introducing the pitch clock carries significant implications. Eradicating slow play requires more than penalties. What matters most is a sense of crisis among individual players — an awareness that "this will hurt us all" — and shared empathy. Reducing playing time can only be achieved when every player on the course recognizes the need and takes responsibility for the overall flow of the round. Hitting a shot itself does not take long. The key lies in preparing in advance for everything that must be done before the shot: putting on and removing a glove, calculating distances, walking briskly to the next shot location, reading the putting line before it is one's turn, and consulting with a caddie. All of these can be done well before a player's turn arrives. The new seasons of Korea's men's and women's professional golf tours are approaching. Rule 5.6 of the Rules of Golf stipulates: "A player must not unreasonably delay play, either when playing a hole or between two holes." It further states: "A round of golf is meant to be played at a prompt pace. Each player should recognize that his or her pace of play is likely to affect how long it takes other players to play their rounds, including both other players in the player's own group and those in following groups." The rule strictly mandates prompt play as an obligation. Being aware of other players, other groups, and by extension an entire round, a tournament, and the tour as a whole is the most fundamental attitude a player must possess. Slow play is, in and of itself, a violation of the rules. *Golf's perhaps only downside is that it is so enjoyable it becomes easily addictive. I hope we can share the pleasure of "reading golf" — a joy distinct from playing or watching it.*

'Glacially Slow' Play Reignites Slow Play Debate in Golf

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