Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke agreed Spain’s Alvaro Quiros was right to single out Tour tortoises when he controversially labelled Frenchman Gary Stal a ‘cheater’ on a tense second day at the at the Portugal Masters.
Quiros called for Chief Referee Andy McFee to attend the scorer’s hut straight after the Spaniard signed for a round of 68 on the Oceanico Victoria course.
Quiros and McFee were locked in discussion before being joined by Dane Thomas Bjorn, and Chairman of the Tournament Players Committee, who was playing in the group behind the six-time Tour winning Quiros.
“Gary Stal is a pain in the arse because when the referee appeared the slowest player in our group starts to play quicker,” said Quiros.
“When I asked him why he doesn’t play at the pace when the referee approached us he just ignored me.
Darren Clarke agrees with Alvaro Quiros the Tour need to identify Tour tortoises.
Picture Eoin Clarke, www.golffile.ie
“I then said to Andy Fee he is a cheater but then I don’t mean he was cheating and breaking the rules.
“I just get so pissed off because it happens every single day of every golf tournament and it’s an issue we have here especially on the European Tour and we need to fix it somehow.”
Clarke missed the cut with scores of 71 and 75 but as European Captain of both the Ryder Cup and next February’s EurAsia Cup teams his role on the Tour has changed, and he sympathised with Quiros.
“Slow play is something we are trying really hard to stamp out and the sooner we get on top it the better, but then it is frustrating when you get stuck behind a slow group and even more annoying if you are a fast player,” he said.
“But then the other side of the coin the people out here are playing for their living and their careers and one slow chap can make a big difference.
“All the slow players do exactly what Alvaro is suggesting when you see a referee but then most really are not ready to play when it’s their turn as they haven’t got a glove on, they’re not sure of a yardage and they’re just in their own little world.”
