Golf is the most infuriating of games but golf commentary (of the social media variety, not the TV kind) trumps it.
Exhibit A this week is slow play in the professional game and how it is viewed and talked about.
After the third round of the LPGA event in Florida, a parody Twitter account (@ClubProGuy) caused a stir with a post about Danielle Kang and apparent slow play on the greens.
“Can daniellekang hit an 8 foot par putt before someone can run half a mile? Let's find out!” he tweeted.
Below that was a video of Kenya’s David Rudisha winning Gold in the 800 metres at the London games side-by-side with Kang putting for par at the 14th hole.
Kang’s attempt missed the hole about 10 seconds ahead of Rushida posting his (still) world record time.
RIGHT: Rory McIlroy spent plenty of time waiting on Sunday in Dubai as he attempted, and ultimately failed, to win a third Desert Classic. PHOTO: KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images.
It was moderately humorous and made a point about slow play (though given conditions that Saturday perhaps a little misguided).
The post got the desired response with more than 4000 likes, 441 retweets and more than 250 replies including some scathing comments both defending and condemning Kang.
Fast forward a day to when slow play really should have been talked about and there was barely a word.
In the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic the final group hit a brick wall at the 15th tee and there is a real possibility it played a part in the final result.
Rory McIlroy was in that final group and leading the tournament at the time but over the last four holes had to wait on almost every shot.
Did the four-time major winner hit a series of poor shots coming in to cost himself what could (or perhaps even should have been) a victory? Yes.
"Fast forward a day to when slow play really should have been talked about and there was barely a word." - Rod Morri.
Did slow play cause him to hit those shots? No. Was it a factor? Most likely.
The problem with slow play isn’t for those watching the golf but for those playing.
On TV, if a player is faffing about, the director has the option to simply switch to a different group.
Except when it is late Sunday and only a couple of groups remain, as was the case in Dubai and then we, as spectators, get to see the full horror of what glacial place of play is like.
Rory himself would never blame the delays for how he played those closing holes and as one of the world’s best for more than a decade he is accustomed to having to deal with it.
But slow play is completely unnecessary and a fixable problem. And the sooner those in charge get serious about stamping it out the better.
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