It has taken 22-years but the PGA Tour has caught up with the European Tour in fining players for slow play.
But it is not the known Tour tortoises but two lesser limelight competitors in American Brian Campbell and Argentina’s Miguel Angel Caballo caught during this week’s Zurich Classic in New Orleans.
The penalty came to light on day two of the event when Carballo went over his allotted time on the 12th hole during Thursday’s first round and then Campbell had a bad time on the 14th hole.
American Brian Campbell and Argentina’s Miguel Angel Caballo caught for slowness during this week’s Zurich Classic in New Orleans.
Under Tour rules, a player receives a warning after the first bad time and then is slapped with a one-shot penalty after his second.
Because they were a team in foursomes, however, rules specify that a “player” includes his partners.
So, instead signing for a one-over par 73 in the opening Foursomes matches they headed into day two’s Fourball at two over par.
Until Thursday, the last time a PGA Tour player was penalized one shot for pace of play was Glen Day in the third round of the 1995 Honda Classic.
Double Major winning Jordan Spieth was asked to comment on the ruling after he and his Zurich Classic partner, Ryan Palmer shot a second straight 66 to finish with a 12-under par tally in the $US 7.2m event.
“I find it a bit surprising but then I did not know about the penalty and 22 years is a long time without issuing a penalty,” said Spieth.
“I know the Tour does as much as they can if it means doing that but I it is hard for me to really comment as I am not sure of the circumstances”.
Fifteen months ago, it was Spieth who found himself on the wrong side of new European Tour slow-play “monitoring” penalties with the then World No.1 informed to add a shot to his scorecard on day one of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
The new ruling had only come into effect two days earlier following a Tournament Players Committee meeting in the UAE capital, and with Spieth, after being earlier warned for slowness, advised by officials a second time after he was timed taking more than 4o seconds over a putt.
The PGA Tour had been asked to comment on this rare ruling in New Orleans but by mid-afternoon local time there was no response.
The duo of Swede Jonas Blixt and Australian Cameron Smith, with a combined 62, enjoyed a one–shot clubhouse lead on 15–under par.
Spieth and Justin Thomas shared third place at 12–under par.
The Rio Olympic Games Gold and Silver medal winning duo of Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson were out in the afternoon half of the draw and starting at level par.
