Brooks Koepka does not bite his tongue, especially when it comes to talking about slow play on the US PGA Tour. The winner of two U.S. Opens and a U.S. PGA Championship has taken a swipe at the referees during an interview in New York and criticized the lack of strict application of the rules of pace of play in American Tour tournaments.
“There are a lot of slow players. A lot of them are very good players, which is also a problem,” Koepka said. “I think it’s strange this set of rules where, you know, we have to make sure we drop shot from knee height, or that your caddie doesn’t get behind you, and then you also have a rule where you have to hit your shot within 40 seconds, but this one is not enforced. Theyenforce some (referees), but not others.”
The US PGA Tour had its first slow play penalty in 20 years during the 2017 Zurich Classic, which is a tournament played in pairs. Then last fall on the Champions Tour (the US Senior Tour), Corey Pavin was penalized one stroke for slow play during the season-ending playoff series. But other than that the only memorable slow play controversy came at the 2013 Masters with amateur Guan Tianlang.
“If they put the clock on us, it’s because we’re slow.” Obviously, we’ve already broken the rules,” Koepka continued. “Generally, if they put the clock on you, it’s because you’re slow. The time is still being monitored, but people are still not complying and will continue to do so. They’re breaking the rules, but no one has the balls to penalize them. Just penalize them.”
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