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You can add Ian Poulter to the list of tour pros that are fed up with the slow players on tour.
Only a matter of days after the matter boiled to a head with Bryson DeChambeau’s antics at last week’s Northern Trust, Ryder Cup stalwart Poulter was asked for his take on the issue.
The 43-year-old, you probably won’t be surprised to hear, is as frustrated with it as everybody else.
“There have been several instances where the stop clock has been abused in that fact to the other player’s detriment, and the other player doesn’t have a care that they’ve taken too long, which is disrespectful to your playing partners more than anything else,” he said ahead of this week’s BMW Championship at Medinah.
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“The fans are going to think what they think but it’s a shame. It needs to be addressed.
“I think certain players need to have a look at those situations, and if you take a couple of penalties during the year, then that’s on them.”
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Poulter also revealed that he used to be a slow player until the European Tour’s chief referee intervened and helped him change his ways.
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“I was told 17 years ago by John Paramor that the way I read my putts was a process that was taking too long,” he added. “So I worked with him on-site on a practice green for him to show me how long that process was taking because I was on the clock. It was taking me 62 seconds and 58 seconds and 75 seconds.
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“We went away, we addressed that situation and I found another way of going through my process. I changed that routine 17 years ago and I don’t believe I’ve really had many issues since.
“It’s something that can be worked on. You need to own up and take responsibility of addressing your routine and making sure you stay within the respectful time that you’re given to hit the putt.”
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