‘It’s A Lose Lose Situation’ - Graeme McDowell Suggests Simple Way To End Slow Play

Slow play has been one of the big talking points during the early stages of 2025, with several professionals from various circuits speaking out about it.

Just recently, the LPGA Tour announced a number of measures to combat slow play, as the circuit is set to enforce more penalties on those who don't follow the guidelines.

Certainly, at the LPGA Tour's Founders Cup, the talk of action seemed to work, as rounds reportedly took under four hours to play on the weekend. However, although many were positive on the issue, one Major winner couldn't help but point out one particular aspect.

Commenting on an Instagram post from Golf Digest that showed the timings of all four rounds from the Founders Cup, former US Open winner Graeme McDowell wrote: "I don’t understand the fake narrative here. They played in twosomes at the weekend. Of course they were moving.

"Golf wouldn’t have any slow play issues if we could play in 2s all week. Trying to squeeze 156 players for 2 rounds on a Thursday and Friday, that's when things grind to a halt. It’s a lose lose situation because smaller fields create less playing opportunities for guys. Any tour will have the odd bad egg slow player but typically it’s just traffic issues."

Playing three balls for the first two rounds of the Founders Cup in Florida, it took, on average, 4 hours 31 minutes and 4 hours 23 minutes to complete the first two days. From there, two balls were played on Saturday and Sunday and, according to Golfweek who published the timings, round three and four took 3 hours 48 minutes and 3 hours 42 minutes.

Korda, who spoke about the slow play issue at the tail-end of 2024 and was playing in the Founders Cup, claimed that "there was not one round that we sniffed 4:45," adding "it was very nice.”

In terms of penalties, the LPGA Tour would enforce a one stroke penalty for those who take 6-15 seconds over the allotted time, with two stroke penalties being enforced if players take longer than 16 seconds.

Currently, the PGA Tour's pace of play policy requires players to play at a prompt pace throughout the round but, like the LPGA Tour, players have spoken about it previously.

Recently, Lucas Glover suggested to SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, that there should be a ban on AimPoint, as well as introducing lasers and also a ban on honorary observers and sign bearers, with the American even adding that groups should have individual bunker rakers.

In terms of the LIV Golf League, which McDowell is part of, the circuit have handed out monetary fines and shot penalties in its short history. In March, Adrian Meronk was assessed a one stroke penalty for taking more than two minutes to play his shot, with the penalty ending up costing the Polish player $240,000 as he dropped into a share of sixth.

Speaking of Meronk, the 31-year-old claimed the season opening LIV Golf Riyadh title on the same weekend of the Founders Cup. What's more, LIV Golf revealed that, for the first round in Saudi Arabia, it took just a over 4.5 hours for all the groups of three to complete their rounds at Riyadh Golf Club.