PGA Championship | In Search of Lost Time

Three elements were talked about during the last Masters Tournament, a month ago: the weather, the performance of the players on the LIV Golf circuit and the slowness of Patrick Cantlay. At the start of the PGA Championship, only the last point still seems to be relevant.

97. That’s how many minutes Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka waited in the final round of the first major tournament of the season. In front of them, the duo composed of Patrick Cantlay and Viktor Hovland.

Cantlay has always been known for taking his time. However, this way of playing has taken on a disproportionate extent on the course of the Augusta National. Even his partner sometimes took the initiative to play without waiting for him, the pace was so slow.

His preparation and his way of stomping the green before making his putts, in particular, were painful to watch.

“The group in front of us was brutally slow. Jon had time to go to the bathroom about seven times during the round, and we were still waiting,” Koepka said at the end of the tournament. The American has openly criticized the pace of some players over the past few years.

On the other hand, according to Cantlay, “after having completed the first hole, the other group was still on the tee box of the second hole. We waited pretty much all day.”

“I was there,” said Yohann Benson, golf professional, caddy and analyst at Sports Network. Cantlay takes a lot of blame. His group also expected a lot from the front group. »

The No. 4 player in the world will be paired with Ricky Fowler and Phil Mickelson for the first two rounds of the PGA Championship. As he is successful, there is little chance of seeing any change on his part.

“Cantlay makes a super good living by taking his time, making sure all his benchmarks are ticked. And as long as no one puts their hands in their pockets and levies fines, he doesn’t care,” continues Benson.

The American is among the favorites to win and has five top-10 finishes in his last eight tournaments. “Why would he hurry? “says Benson.

The rules

The PGA Tour Playing Time Charter compiles all the rules regarding the pace at which golfers must play at tournaments organized by the Tour.

For example, a group of four players must complete the course in 4 h 21 min. A trio, in 4 h 3 min. Otherwise, a player must take no more than 40 seconds to make a move. However, the way the document is written leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

The very first rule of the Charter states that “the player must play without undue delay. Between the end of a hole and the next teeing ground, the player must not unduly delay play”.

The subjectivity of this charter poses a problem, according to Jean-Sébastien Légaré, golf professional and analyst at the Sports Network. In particular because these regulations are too general and unsuited to the nature of each terrain.

“The Playing Time Charter must be adapted to the course. Not every number 1 hole can take 13 or 14 minutes. It’s hard to establish the same charter on the PGA Tour for an entire season, but that’s what they do. »

The emergence of social networks

After the criticism of him at the Masters Tournament, Cantlay did not change anything about his ritual. On the contrary, he even accentuated his preparation, but this time before hitting his tee shot. A video of him waddling over his ball for endless seconds has gone viral in recent weeks.

“When you don’t follow golf and you see it on your newsfeed, it’s easy to form an opinion without having the overall picture. Cantlay has been hyped up by social media, so he has a target behind his back. But is it the only one? No,” says Légaré.

In his prime, Tiger Woods was also an apostle of slowness. His analysis of the greens before finally hitting his ball was almost over the top. Yet few people blamed him.

“It’s impossible to compare with old times,” explains Légaré. If Cantlay played to the extent of Tiger, if he won so much, would we talk about it so much? He’s not unanimous like Rory [McIlroy] Or [Jordan] Spieth, and Spieth, sometimes it takes him as long as Cantlay. »

The solution

It is difficult to determine an ideal solution to punish players who are too slow. On the one hand, because according to Benson, “it’s not really an issue; on the circuit, no player talks about it”. On the other hand, “there are so many elements that it becomes difficult to corner a player,” says Légaré.

According to the Charter, a player can receive four warnings before being disqualified for taking too long to play. The first is a simple warning. In the second, a player loses a stroke. In the third, he loses two.

However, warnings are rare on the PGA Tour. “On a golf course, there would be a way to monitor everyone, but we don’t do it,” laments Légaré. According to him, “every golf club should have its own charter, because between each course, even here in Quebec, depending on the length of the holes or the walk between the tee boxes and the green, it’s completely different”.

Ultimately, according to Benson, there’s only one way to sum up this whole quagmire: “As long as there is no severe penalty for slow play, there will be no change . Players will continue to take their time if it benefits them. »

Who will bring out the big game?

The PGA Championship may not have the notoriety of other major tournaments, even though its trophy, the Wanamaker, is one of the most sublime in professional sports. The tournament has accustomed us to spectacular conclusions over the past few years. Here are five candidates with the potential to rewrite history in their own way.

Brooks Koepka

We almost thought his career was over when he migrated to the LIV Golf circuit. However, in health, Koepka is still one of the best players in the world. His display at the most recent Masters Tournament was convincing, as was his ball-striking. For the first time in ages, he looked like a four-time major tournament champion again. The American won the PGA Championship twice in 2018 and 2019. Back then, he was unwavering. His victory in the Black Course at Bethpage State Park is still one of the most impressive in recent years. His game now restored, he won a tournament in Orlando in addition to taking second place at the Augusta National a few weeks ago. He has pace and he could well score his hat trick.

Matthew Fitzpatrick

Rather discreet since his US Open title last summer, Matthew Fitzpatrick finally won a victory in April at the RBC Heritage Classic. Still hanging within the top 10 worldwide, the Englishman has the privilege of being one of the immortals of the world of golf, since he will forever be considered a champion in a major tournament. So he has the ability to shine in big moments. The Oak Hill course will marry his game perfectly. In full possession of his means over short distances, the 28-year-old player will be able to limit the damage, especially in the sand traps. There are plenty of them around the greens on this course, but that shouldn’t bother Fitzpatrick too much. Remember his approach from the pit at 18^e at Brookline last year to secure the title.

Jon Rahm

He is at the top of the world rankings. He is the reigning Masters Tournament champion. He has won four tournaments since the start of the season. Jon Rahm is the man to beat. We already know that the greens of the New York course will give golfers a hard time. As they are firm and fast, it will be necessary to excel with the putter in hand to hope to lift the trophy on Sunday afternoon. Currently, there is no flaw in the game of the Spaniard, by far the best on the circuit when in a position to play under par. He dominates all his opponents for the number of eagles, the number of birdies and the average score. History tends to show that PGA Championship winners are often right in the middle of a good streak. This trend could certainly benefit Rahm, who is looking for his third major title.

Justin Thomas

It’s been a frustrating season for Justin Thomas, filled with ups and downs. The American is unable to impose his rhythm and play regularly at the height of his talent. The frustration and disappointment were visible on his face when he missed the cut at the last Masters Tournament. However, when he showed up in Tulsa last year, he was also in a period of questioning. Eventually, he rallied from a seven-stroke deficit in the third round to win the PGA Championship in overtime. Thomas, one of the most beautiful pure talents in the world, will be able to benefit from his striking power on the course of 7390 yards of Oak Hill. He is also among the top five on the tour this season for his play around the greens. It will remain to thread the needle once on the pie. Thomas also won in 2017 at Quail Hallow Club.

Tony Finau

Tony Finau is still looking for his first major title. This potential triumph would be extremely popular in the golf world. A player appreciated by players and amateurs, Finau is often perceived as the nice guy, friendly and funny, but lacking the strength of character necessary to rise in moments of tension. Yet it is necessary, at least four times a year. The 33-year-old is playing well this season with two titles and just one missed cut in 14 tournaments. He took top honors a few weeks ago in Mexico with an impressive cumulative score of -24, three strokes ahead of Rahm. His outfit against the best player in the world could make his detractors change their minds. The climate and the structure of the course will not be to Finau’s advantage, but he is increasingly versatile. He will have to continue to excel with his approach shots.