more visualisation before pulling the trigger – all because you’ve got nowhere else to go while waiting for the group ahead. Before you realise it, you’ve ab- sorbed the very behaviour you despise. My closest friends flew from Europe to Austin a few years back to watch me at the Match Play Championship. Their verdict after following me for 18 holes was, “When did you get so damn slow?” The American tour had rewired my golf brain without my even noticing. IT’S GAMESMANSHIP. I’ve played with Jason Day in a non-tournament round. That man can move. Come tournament time, he’s as methodical and unhur- ried as a wedding where both families brought their extended relatives. But while he’s walking along at a snail’s pace, he might suddenly speed up when it’s your turn, moving just enough to break your focus. It’s not just him. Dozens of guys have this same curious habit, and if you’re not expecting it, the move can get just enough under your skin to cause a problem. We will call each other out for quick-triggering, but a warning from a competitor is a small price to pay for getting inside his head. IT’S THE COVERAGE. The Open Cham- pionship is always among the slowest tournaments of the year. It’s such a dif- ferent game with the wind, the ground, and the setups. When a seemingly per- fect drive can bound into a pot bunker or a gentle breeze can transform into a sideways gale, every shot demands careful consideration. Despite the deliberate pace, I consistently hear from friends that The Open is their favourite broadcast. When interna- tional feeds take over from American production, gone are the excessive pre- taped biographical packages, footage of players marking two-foot putts and relentless commercial breaks. Instead, viewers are treated to what they crave: an uninterrupted symphony of pure golf shots. When viewers can witness more golf from more golfers, the per- ception of slow play diminishes. The game itself becomes the focus rather than the waiting. Perhaps the “slow- play problem” isn’t about pace at all but rather about how we choose to frame and present those inevitable pauses in the broadcast. – WITH JOEL BEALL
“I don’t care what the studies say. If
occurred in junior programmes where every swing was video-taped, every statistical category tracked, every de- cision scrutinised by hovering coach- es, parents and trainers. As a result, the tour is increasingly populated by technicians who play chess while their predecessors played jazz. IT’S FEATURED GROUPS. You know who’s quietly becoming slow? Scottie Scheffler, and it’s not his fault. Have you ever seen the absolute madness that follows star pairings? One guy hits one ball slightly off line and watch what happens. It’s like herding cats trying to clear everyone out. If you think play- ing with these guys is tough, try going directly in front of or behind them. You’re standing over a par putt while 50 people are stampeding past you to get into position to see the marquee group. IT’S AIMPOINT. Sorry Lucas Glover, Max Homa, Keegan Bradley, et al. I don’t care what the studies say. If I’m play- ing with an AimPointer, I know I can go ahead and cancel dinner reservations. IT’S THE CULTURE. I played a few rounds with Tom Kim before he came to the PGA Tour. The transformation is strik- ing – while he wasn’t exactly a road- runner before, he certainly wasn’t the tortoise he’s become. After competing on three major tours worldwide, I can tell you with certainty that American professional golf is the slowest. What’s fascinating is how it spreads. That one group moving at a glacial pace creates a bottleneck that ripples backwards, hole after hole, and nothing – abso- lutely nothing – infuriates professional golfers more than waiting. The irony is that our instinctive response to combat this slowness is to unconsciously adopt it ourselves. Suddenly you’re taking those extra practice swings, that addi- tional read from behind the ball, one I’m playing with an AimPointer, I know I can go ahead and cancel dinner reservations.”
faster. When your livelihood depends on each stroke, deliberation isn’t just un- derstandable – it’s inevitable. The tour’s structural changes have only amplified the pressure cooker that already existed. IT’S JUNIOR GOLF. Most of the slowest guys on tour are 28 or younger. This new generation was raised in the era of analyt- ics and microscopic dissection of every aspect of the game. These young pros are stepping off yardages for simple 40- yard pitch shots previous generations would execute on feel. They’re having five-minute strategy sessions with their caddies when the right play is glaringly obvious to everyone watching. This ap- proach isn’t entirely their fault. These pups have been conditioned since child- hood to trust systems over instincts, data over intuition. Their development
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 9
JUNE 2025
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