New Orleans, LA …

Very many are now agreeing the PGA Tour has  been all too quick in slapping “slow play” penalties, and the first in some 22 years, on two of the Tour lesser lights in Brian Campbell and Miguel Angel Carballo during day one of the Zurich Classic.

The duo, who were alternates and not partners by choice, were first given bad time warnings early in their round but then after two further slow play incidents a PGA Tour rules official advised Campbell and Carballo they were being penalised a stroke.

Tour far too quick to single out Miguel Angel Carballo and American Brian Campbell.

A very annoyed Campbell indicated ahead of round two that his group was “sprinting” around the course yet they still were on the clock as they headed to the back nine.

The official advised Carballo had taken too long in taking his shot at the 12th hole but then Campbell found himself incurring the wrath of the slow play rules when he had been forced to run back from the 14th tee to tap in on the 13th green when Carballo missed what Campbell thought would be an easy putt.

So, in walking ahead to the 14th tee and speeding up play, Campbell finds himself a bad boy in having to go back to the previous green given the alternate shot format of the round.

No wonder Campbell was annoyed and protested the penalty  …. but to no avail.

“The policy is the policy,” he said.

No there is no grey area and it is all just black or white!

What also seemingly was not taken into account was that Campbell and Carballo were paired with two players, Kyle Ramey and Phil Schmitt and two players without any Tour status and no experience competing in the theatre of a $US 7.2m event.

In fact, when you go onto www.pgtour.com  there is no record at all of the name Ramey while Schmitt last played on Tour in 2o15.

I agree with my colleagues that the Tour would be far better placed focusing on known tortoises !!