J.B. Holmes Becomes The Poster Boy For Golf Obliviot
The PGA Tour’s tepid (okay, non-existent) policies on slow play was embarrassingly outed on national TV Sunday at the Farmers Insurance Open. Heck, the final group took over SIX HOURS to finish the final round and was a hole behind. Six flipping hours!! That’s simply unacceptable on a warm, dry day no matter the breeze–which wasn’t ridiculous.
Then, noted Tour snail J.B.Holmes added another incredulous salvo to the Tour’s inept policies on slow play. He was in the last group with Ryan Palmer and Alex Noren. After his drive found the fairway, Holmes (one of the Tour’s longest hitters) was figuring out whether to go for the green or layup on the par-5 from 238-yards. Mind you, Holmes was two-down from a playoff. So, after FOUR MINUTES, TEN SECONDS he lays up! Sorry, you aren’t making up two strokes by laying up pal.
Anyway, Noren (who could’ve won with eagle or tie Jason Day with a birdie) is essentially iced while waiting. Holmes lays up, Noren then goes for the green with 3-wood. No doubt miffed over the delay, he probably red-assed his shot over the green. However, in that case Noren should’ve told Holmes to “take all the time you want a–hat, I’m gonna play out of turn.”
Even the gallery started booing as Holmes took his sweet time waiting for the wind to calm down.
Meanwhile, everyone went berserk–including fellow Tour pros.
Asked JB Holmes if he regretted taking so much time to play his second shot on 18, while icing Alex Noren: “No, I was still trying to win. So that’s part of it.”
— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) January 29, 2018
To win?!?! I don’t think so.
come on @PGATOUR allowing JB Holmes 3mins 56 secs to hit his second shot on the 18th simply highlights why rounds take 6 hours on tour (Alex Noren hit his shot in 26 secs) ET rules v PGA Tour rules!!! #golf #golfchat
— Chris Stockdale (@stockyinoz) January 28, 2018
Anytime today JB…🤷🏼♂️
— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) January 28, 2018
Last group was over a hole behind, we can all blame JB…and yes the player should take responsibility for their pace of play, but if they don’t that’s why we have Tour officials – they needed to step in a while ago IMO.
— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) January 28, 2018
I’m cool if Alex Noren pushes JB Holmes into the lake
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) January 28, 2018
1. JB needs to be fined or better yet given 2 shots
2 Needs eagle to tie. After all that lays up? Really???
3 Horrendous sportsmanship to Noren and Palmer
4 wow— Mark Calcavecchia (@MarkCalc) January 28, 2018
The PGA Tour Player Handbook and Tournament Regulations states that “a player is permitted 40 seconds to play a stroke.” It allows an additional 10 seconds for a variety of situations, none of them applicable here. It would have had to allow for an additional 3½ minutes to accommodate Holmes.
I think every single added expense for extending the playoff to today should be sent Holmes’ way to pay the freight. Sorry is as sorry does. But, the PGA Tour also needs to finally man up and start assessing penalty strokes (forget the lame fines–these guys make too much coin).
The whole affair just smells. Badly.
