Jordan Spieth is used to making headlines. In 2015 his Grand Slam Chase had him front and center on every media outlet.
This year is no different. He lapped the field with his win at the Tournament of Champions and is the feature attraction at the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship.
Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler were the main event in round one and once again Spieth dominated the headlines. But it wasn’t for his round of 4 under par that has him tied for seventh behind the the leader, amateur Bryson Dechambeau.
Spieth was the first victim of the new and improved Euro Tour’s slow play policy.
As Spieth and his group moved to the ninth tee he was assessed a “monitoring penalty” by the tour’s chief referee, John Paramor. Two such penalties in a tournament brings a fine.
Paramor’s claim was that he had taken too long to hit his putt on the eighth green. Players get 40 seconds to play when it is their turn but Spieth was confused afterwards.
“I was told I took too long over my putt on the eighth green. They had just taken us off the clock because the group behind us hadn’t even reached the fairway. It didn’t make any sense to me. If I can I’ll try and wash it away [have it rescinded] after the round. I don’t know what the policy is on that. It doesn’t affect this round, but if I get another one I get fined.
“I understand that, if we are being timed and I take too long I get a bad time. I understand the rule,” Spieth said “But it doesn’t make sense when we had caught up and were going off the clock. It had no effect on the round. It’s a bit of a gray area. John Paramor was very respectful though. My thing was not to fight it there and go about finishing my round. But I will be asking. I just don’t want to be worrying about it in future rounds.”
The European Tour has announced that they are actively trying to combat slow play and they should be applauded. Five hour rounds are too much to take for both professionals and amateurs alike.
But Spieth’s confusion and hesitancy to accept the ruling was backed up by McIlroy.
“It was weird,” McIlroy said. “I was surprised Jordan got a bad time on a putt when the guys behind weren’t even approaching their balls back on the fairway. Sometimes we need to apply some common sense, especially when we are not out of position. It’s not like Jordan is a slow player.
“I think it needs to be more about where you are in relation to the games in front and behind. If we are out of position, monitor us. But if we are in position there is no reason to do anything.”
Paramour insisted the warning was warranted, “Pace of play on the European Tour is measured by whether a group keeps to the starting interval between groups, rather than if they are on the same hole, as it is in America,” Paramor said. “Jordan was assessed a monitoring penalty after his putt on the eighth hole, which I advised him of as he walked to the ninth tee.”
So Spieth thinks he is innocent and Paramor thinks he violated the rules and it all ends up on the front of the sports page.
And we are all talking about slow play.
This was my argument years ago. A few years back I said if Tim Finchem and the PGA Tour wanted to speed up play I suggested slapping Tiger Woods with a penalty. Nothing would send the fear of God into the hearts of a pro golfer like the biggest player in the game taking a hit.
Maybe that was Paramor’s tact: assess Spieth, the number one player in the world and the new face of golf a warning and watch the rank and file snap into line.
The thinking being if they would assess The Golden Child a penalty they certainly wouldn’t hesitate to levy the rest of the mere mortals that dawdle on the course.
I cheer the European Tour and John Paramor for taking a stance and trying to improve the pace of play.
And new rules or not Spieth should have known that when Paramor is around a bad time isn’t far from his lips.
Paramor is the Grim Reaper on the course and he’ll lay a bad time on anyone, Golden Child or not.
Yes, these guys are good…but they just have to play quicker.
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