Jordan Spieth's Slow Play

[newtogolf]

6 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

I didn't realize I had saved it but I still have Sunday's final round on the DVR so I went back and checked a couple of things just for kicks.  Here are the last several groups on Sunday:

Pairing                                       Tee Time          Finish            Round

McIlroy/Berger                             10:55              3:10                4:15

Snedeker/Kjeldsen                       11:05            (they didn't show them finish)

Willed/Westwood                         11:15              3:30               4:15

Day/Johnson                                11:25              3:46               4:21

Langer/Matsuyama                      11:35              3:58               4:23

Spieth/Kaufman                             11:45            4:10               4:25

Note that the gaps between the last 4 groups finishing were :16, :12, and :12.  I'm going to say that people are falsely pointing at Spieth (and Day a few weeks ago) as being slower than the rest of them, simply because the broadcast happens to show them the whole time.  For many of the other players who are not superstars and are not in the lead, they cut to them when they're about to hit so we don't see as much of the whole process.

They're all slow, and Spieth not much more than any of the rest of them.

 

This is great data, thanks Drew.  Spieth is slower than most but The Masters coverage made it more obvious because we got to see all the time in between shots.  I watched "Featured Groups" the entire time, all the pro's have discussions with their caddies, take practice swings and back off.  I'll agree Jordan does it a bit more than many I watched but he was also leading the tournament and playing in difficult conditions.  

Day does his visualization, which if we watched 72 holes of that we'd all be talking about how slow he is and not Spieth.  

[phan52]

McIlroy was being generous when discussing Spieth's slow play on Saturday. I am convinced it threw him off to a point because he likes to play fast. He is always ready to hit the ball when it is his turn. Spieth needs to address this shortcoming in the future or he will develop an unkind reputation.

[Missouri Swede]

6 hours ago, newtogolf said:

Day does his visualization, which if we watched 72 holes of that ...

Watching him makes my eyelids hurt.

[DaveP043]

7 hours ago, Lazarus said:

....(or agonising if he was just faffing around).

I just love that term, so descriptive.

And I still say, Spieth and Day aren't the only slow players out there, they're just more visible when they're in or near the lead.  I'd love to see the various tours enforce their own slow-play policies more consistently, and start assessing strokes when appropriate.  If a player can't adapt, if he (or she) can't play as well when playing at a reasonable pace, so be it.  Someone else will play well, and I'll enjoy watching much more.  It doesn't need to be a track meet, just less of a snail's slog.

[RFKFREAK]

On 4/12/2016 at 0:32 PM, phan52 said:

McIlroy was being generous when discussing Spieth's slow play on Saturday. I am convinced it threw him off to a point because he likes to play fast. He is always ready to hit the ball when it is his turn. Spieth needs to address this shortcoming in the future or he will develop an unkind reputation.

I agree McIlroy was being generous.

And I think he's already developed that reputation.