World No. 1 Jordan Spieth was not impressed in being singled out as a tortoise and slow-play on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Spieth, competing for a first time in the UAE, was singled out by Chief Referee John Paramour as the Texan made his way to the final tee and on route an eventual four under par 68.
Paramour issued last year’s double Major Champion a very first ‘Monitoring’ bad time and less than a day then new ‘Monitoring’ laws were brought into effect by the Tour.
“It was a bit odd as I got a ‘monitoring bad time’ on my putt on the eight when they took us off the clock on that green and the guys behind us hadn’t even reached the fairway, on a par five,” said Spieth.
Jordan Spieth (USA) speaking to John Paramor chief referee on the 9th during round 1 of the 2016 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship held at the Abu Dhabi National Course, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 20th January 2016. Picture: Fran Caffrey | Golffile All photos usage must carry mandatory copyright credit (© Golffile | Fran Caffrey)
“So it didn’t make any sense to me. If I can, I’ll try and wash it away after the round as I don’t know what the policy is on that.
“Because it doesn’t affect this round but if I get another one I get fined and I don’t think it’s necessarily a reason to get that bad time.
“I understand if you are being timed and you are taking longer than the allotted time, you get a bad time. I understand the rule. But it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when our group had caught up, you were going to take us off, and it had no effect on the round.
“So it’s a bit of a grey area. I didn’t fight it, and I was respectful about it.”
World No. 1 Jordan Spieth insists he’s no tortoise in being informed he is being given a new ‘monitoring’ bad time warning by European Tour referee John Paramor. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Rory McIlroy, playing alongside Spieth for the first two days, laughed off the incident.
“It’s just probably a bit of over-enthusiasm in the first round of the first event of the year (smiling),” he said.
“It’s like the new shorts policy as they gone straight into implement that new policy.
“So it was a bit of a weird one with the referee coming up to Jordan to say he had a bad time on a putt there when the guys behind hadn’t even reached their drives, so sometimes I feel the refs have to use a bit of common sense,” said McIlroy.
“I’ve played a lot alongside Jordan and he’s far from a slow player”.
Reigning US Amateur champion Bryson Dechambeau, and competing on an invitation, is a shock leader snatching an eagle and six birdies to lead by one with an eight under par 64.
There were also two aces on the day and both at the 15th with Dane Thomas Bjorn and Frenchman Gregory Boudy but no car, cash or cigar.
