Jason Day knows why people think he’s slow

Jason Day says he ‘doesn’t care’ what people think about his pace of play and has offered a reason behind why he thinks he’s branded a slow player.   

The 29-year-old admitted that he’s been put on the clock ‘once or twice’, following comments made in January that he would continue to play at his current pace to help him ‘get back to what made him good’.

His remarks were criticised by fellow PGA Tour pros Brandt Snedeker and Billy Horschel and, ahead of teeing it up in his eighth Open appearance, Day says the possibility of being put on the clock doesn’t concern him.

“I’ve been put on the clock already this year, so it doesn’t really worry me too much,” he said. “Obviously it all depends on what position you’re at. But I still definitely will take my time.

“I need to make sure that I’m hitting the correct shots. I think at the end of my career no one is going to go, he was a great golfer, but he was slow. 

“To be honest, I don’t really care what people say. I need to do what I need to do to win a golf tournament. And within reason of respecting other players and the Rules of Golf.”

Day, who captured his maiden major at the 2015 PGA Championship, went onto explain that being among the final groups in majors a lot in 2015 and 2016 is the reason why people think he is now one of the game’s slower players.

“The only reason why I think a lot of people think I’m slow is that when I was playing well, I was in a lot of groups on Sundays and in the last few groups, usually everyone takes their time,” he added. “But if I’m 70th, I’m not taking much time. I’m kind of racing around the golf course then.

“When someone gets put on the clock, we need to pick up the pace of play, and everyone understands that. And I’ll do my best to make sure that I try to not get put on the clock.”