Former Open champion takes aim at ‘ridiculous’ slow play

Few things unite golf fans like slow play.

And former Open champion Ian Baker-Finch understands.

After rounds of up to six hours in recent weeks, the Aussie told the SubPar podcast it’s a problem that is ‘killing the game’.

“I’m not a fan of slow play,” he said. “Five and a half hours is ridiculous, and I think it’s killing the game.

“The Tour say they are trying to do the best they can without putting penalty strokes on players but that’s hard because you don’t want to get into legal battles.”

So, how do you fix the problem? Well, Baker-Finch has a few ideas.

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“I’d try… where you had to play in four hours, you only had 30 seconds to play each shot and only you could read the putt, or things like that.

“It has to start in junior golf and then college golf, so when they get on tour it’s not ‘hey, you took five and a half hours in college, but now you have to take four and a half’.

“If they say at the start of the week that the time par is four [hours] 23 for a course in a threesome, adhere to the 4:23. I don’t understand how 5:30 is okay.”

It was at the Wyndham Championship two weeks ago where the problem reared its head again.

Despite only 67 players making the cut, several rounds lasted well over five hours.

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Meanwhile, Baker-Finch insists the use of measuring devices could help players, who seemingly take longer than ever to play.

“I would allow measuring devices like range finders,” he explained. “That would help speed up play when players are hitting it in the trees or out of play, where there’s no sprinkler heads or nothing mapped.

“And the caddies want their airtime as well, it appears. Over the last decade, there is more and more caddie conversations. It seems to be a minute of discussion before they even line up to the shot.

“How can you get to the ball and take a minute to get your yardage, a minute discussion with your caddie and then a minute to hit the ball? That’s not right, you’re meant to hit it within 40 seconds.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.