Jordan Spieth hit with slow-play penalty that ‘didn’t make any sense’

Jordan Spieth sought clarification after Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship officials hit him with the first high-profile “monitoring penalty” under the European Tour’s new pace-of-play initiative.

The event’s marquee group, which included the world No. 1, Rory McIlroy, and Rickie Fowler, received a warning as they approached the fourth tee that Euro Tour chief rules official John Paramor was monitoring their time. Under the new code, which the tour unveiled at a players’ meeting on Tuesday, a competitor must take a shot within 40 seconds (the first to play in a group receives an additional 10 seconds) or incur the wrist-slapping penalty.

Spieth received a warning after taking more time than allowed to hit a putt on the eighth green (the group’s 17th of the day) and learned of the infraction on the ninth tee. Though the “penalty” for two such breaches would cost the game’s highest earner (and, of course, anyone else in violation) pocket change of some $2,800, Spieth was confused by the action.

“It didn’t make any sense to me,” Spieth told reporters after carding a 4-under 68 that put him four shots back of leader Bryson DeChambeau and two shy of McIlroy. “The guys behind us hadn’t even reached the fairway on a par five.”

Even weekend warriors know that the aim is to keep pace with the group in front rather than worry about those trailing, which McIlroy said was not an issue.

“It was a bit of a weird one,” McIlroy told Golf channel.com. “Sometimes the refs have to use common sense. With the time we’re allowed if you take an extra look at a putt you’re over the time. But if we’re in position [relative to the group ahead] there’s no reason to time us.”

The tour put in place the new policy, which calls players out but has no practical financial or other impact, to allow officials to penalize individuals for slow play rather than entire groups.

“We will now be with the players, rather than informing them that they are out of position and leaving them to do it [catch up] by themselves. We found that had mixed success,” Paramor told Sky Sports on Thursday about the campaign to cut 15 minutes from each round of golf.

“Our new policy will help identify the slow players and will allow our faster players, who have never had a problem, to feel less pressured by the rules officials,” new European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley explained. “We believe this measure will help keep groups in position on the golf course and, in doing that, shave up to 15 minutes per group per round. This will help make golf more appealing and engaging to our fans, both at the course itself or watching on television.”