Brooks Koepka criticized the pace of play during the 2023 Tournament, becoming the latest in a growing list of golfers to criticize slow play on the course. Now, rising star Matt Fitzpatrick is expressing his frustrations with a recent PGA Tour event.
Fitzpatrick, age 28, won the 2023 RBC Heritage, winning a three-hole playoff against Jordan Spieth. The victory earned Fitzpatrick the $3.6 million first-place prize, one of the highest payouts he has received during his young career.
- Matt Fitzpatrick major wins: 2022 U.S. Open
While one of England’s top golfers was happy to leave Harbour Town Golf Links with a victory, he wasn’t pleased with the pace of play. Just a week after Koepka cited the slow play as part of the issue for his issues on the final day at Augusta National, the winner of the 2023 RBC Heritage was even more critical of what happened in South Carolina
In a recent interview, Matt Fitzpatrick echoed the frustrations many of his peers have regarding the slow pace of play being experienced. However, he doesn’t believe the PGA Tour is going to change anything despite the growing issue.
“It’s truly appalling. No one’s going to do anything about it.”
Matt Fitzpatrick on the current pace of play in the PGA
Even the group Koeopka criticized wasn’t happy with the speed the group ahead of them played during the final round of the Masters. While the PGA Tour implemented new policies changing of play in 2020, the length of rounds is becoming a growing source of frustration for some players.
To make matters worse, as Fitzpatrick and others have expressed, there is very little belief that anything will change.
- Matt Fitzpatrick career earnings: $25.39 million
Fitzpatrick further explained his issues with the pace of play and how he believes things should be played. While he wants to see changes, his experiences with the PGA Tour have led him to believe that nothing will change because no one wants to do anything about it.
“If you’re in a three-ball, in my opinion, you should be round in four hours, four and half absolute maximum – it’s a disgrace to get anywhere near that. You’re talking five hours and 15, five and a half hours at some venues and it’s truly appalling. The problem is this conversation has gone on for years and years and years and no one ever done anything so I feel it’s almost a waste of time talking about it. I have strong opinions, but no one’s going to do anything about it.”
Matt Fitzpatrick on the issue of slow play on the PGA Tour (H/T Daily Mail)
While there are penalties in place if a golfer plays too slowly, with the PGA Tour able to discipline a player who averages more than 45 seconds per stroke over 10 tournaments, it’s rarely enforced. It gained even more attention because of Patrick Cantlay, with one video capturing his frustratingly-slow pace at RBC Heritage.
It seems many of the best players on the PGA Tour don’t believe anything will change and either take advantage of it or continue to voice their frustrations with it. As for Fitzpatrick, the No. 8 golfer in the world will now turn his focus to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he can only hope the pace of play is faster.