Ask any professional golfer as to what bugs him the most on a golf course, and chances are that nine out of ten would say ‘pace of play’.
– Hong Kong: Ian Poulter makes mad dash to Asia
– Joy of golf: Presidents Cup’s welcome shot in arm
– Nomura Cup: Cheng Jin spearheads Chinese challenge
And yet, given the camaraderie between the players, and the traditional diktat of being a gentleman on the golf course with your behaviour towards your playing partners and others, very few golfers have had the guts to name and shame fellow players for slow play.
South African Rory Sabbatini, who is just brilliant with his speed of play, did that once to American Ben Crane, and was roundly criticised by the media.
Sabbatini decided enough was enough and walked off even before Crane played his second shot to the green. By the time Crane reached his ball on the green, Sabbatini had already chipped, made his putt and walked off to the next tee.
But to hasten the pace of play, what golf really needs is an effective neighbourhood watch programme involving the players. They are not trying to win popularity contests, but polite nudges to slower players should be encouraged.
Most painful putt in history? #golf #AlvaroQuiros #PortugalMasters https://t.co/4Tx1JnxU1m
— Your Golf Travel (@yourgolftravel) October 18, 2015
This is why I feel Alvaro Quiros wasn’t wrong in ranting about defending Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf champion Gary Stal at the Portugal Masters last week. The Frenchman’s deliberateness had slowed down the group and forced an official to time them.
But according to Quiros, the moment an official started following the group, Stal’s pace of play improved dramatically. Quiros reported Stal to the European Tour after the round, and then called him a “pain in the a**e” and a “cheat” while speaking to the media.
Obviously, by ‘cheating’, he meant the ability to play much faster in the presence of an official. It was a bit of an extreme step for Quiros, but something that is needed. It could have been done more diplomatically, like a polite conversation with Stal during the course of the round itself, but hopefully, other players will become more aware after this.
Poulter given hope
Well, if Ian Poulter somehow makes a turnaround in his form from here on and wins another Ryder Cup for Europe in Hazeltine next year, then America can blame one of their very own, 2002 PGA champion Rich Beem, for that.
As is well known now, Beem gave up a sponsor’s exemption at the last minute to make way for Poulter to play this week in Hong Kong, thus ensuring he’d be able to play the minimum 13 events required to keep his European Tour membership – a prerequisite to be eligible to play the Ryder Cup.
There is bound to be a bit of controversy with the way the whole thing was done, as a player needs to sign up for a tournament two weeks before the event, and the European Tour had to swing into action in the last minute after it became apparent that Poulter will not qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai because he dropped out of the top-50 in world rankings.
He’s here. He’s grinding. Welcome back to the #UBSHKOpen Ian Poulter. pic.twitter.com/FbdLFcVfnT
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 22, 2015
The Tour is already taking some flak for the special consideration made in the case of Rory McIlroy, who would not have qualified for the DP World Tour Championship because he did not play the mandatory numbers of events required to become eligible for it.
So, were the European Tour out of line when they took it upon themselves to ensure McIlroy played in Dubai and Poulter gets a chance to play in Hazeltine? Absolutely not. I
t may seem unfair to someone like Danny Willett, who is No. 2 on the Race to Dubai to McIlroy, or the player who finishes 16th and misses out on the substantial bonus cheque, but it seems the right thing to do.
Imagine the criticism they would have faced if they did not act. The fans, the sponsors and the media deserve to see the best players in action. And I am sure even Willett would have felt hollow about his European No. 1 crown had McIlroy been out of the equation.
Grillo takes aim
When they told Emiliano Grillo that he should be aiming for the best, the young Argentine almost took the advice literally. During Saturday’s third round of the Frys.com Open, which he eventually won after a play-off against Kevin Na, Grillo nearly took out world No. 3 Rory McIlroy with his tee shot.
On the 17th hole, McIlroy had just chipped from the greenside rough Silverado when a ball from the group behind landed perilously close to the superstar.
Emiliano Grillo: “I didn’t want to be the guy who almost hit Rory McIlroy this week. I wanted people to know me because I have the trophy.”
— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) October 19, 2015
That ball belonged to Grillo, who was under the impression that McIlroy’s group had called them on the drivable par-4 hole.
Grillo is living a dream right now, having won on his last two starts in the US. He triumphed in the Web. com Tour Championship, thus securing his PGA Tour card for the new season, and after a gap of one week, won the Frys.com Open.
Quote of the Week
“I don’t care about the individuals themselves but when you’re carrying the Australian flag you don’t represent your country like an idiot, you represent the country like the country wants to be represented.” – Greg Norman doesn’t mince words as he criticises Australian tennis stars Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic for behaving “stupidly” on the tour.
