Matt Fitzpatrick Slams Slow Play on the PGA Tour: ‘It’s Truly Appalling’

As slow play continues to be a hot topic in professional golf, more players are beginning to voice their opinions on the situation, including last week’s RBC Heritage winner, Matt Fitzpatrick. 

Fitzpatrick, who played in a final round pairing with Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay—a player whose name has been at the center of the pace of play conversation—joined Sky Sports for an interview following his victory at Harbour Town Golf Links. 

The Englishman, despite his well-known practice of documenting every shot he hits on the golf course, is praised for being one of the faster players on the PGA Tour. Speaking to Sky Sports, Fitzpatrick voiced strong opinions about the rules that are in place to enforce pace of play. According to the rules of golf, players are recommended to play their shot no more than 40 seconds after they are able to hit without interfering in other player’s routines. 

“I think the times need to be changed," Fitzpatrick said. "I think the times need to be much less, and that way when you’re not within those times you’re going to be penalized and properly punished for being slow.

“I think they give us way too much leeway to get around. If you’re a three-ball, in my opinion, you should get around in four hours. 4 1/2 [hours] absolute maximum. It’s a disgrace to get anywhere near that. You’re talking 5:15 and 5 1/2 [hours] in some venues, and it’s truly appalling,” Fitzpatrick said. 

Rules state that slow players will be penalized one stroke for their first breach of the guidelines, but as Fitzpatrick stated, that penalty is rarely distributed, and in turn, the problem is beginning to get out of hand.

Rather than point fingers at specific players, Fitzpatrick aimed his criticism at the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. The U.S. Open champion claimed that the two tours have been letting slow play slide for years, and the current uproar might be meaningless without action from tour management.  

“The problem is though, this conversation has gone on for years and years and years, and no one has ever done anything, so. I feel like it’s almost a waste of time talking about it every time,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’ve got my opinions, they’re probably strong opinions, but the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, no one’s going to do anything about it, it’s just the way it’s going to be.”

This week, Fitzpatrick is teeing it up with his brother, Alex, at the Zurich Classic—the annual team format event on the PGA Tour.