Legendary caddie takes aim at Tom Kim over slow play

PGA Tour caddie Billy Foster has blasted Tom Kim over the 22-year-old’s deliberate pace of play during the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Foster, one of the game’s most renowned loopers who now works part-time with Matt Fitzpatrick, was quick to make his feelings clear on Kim while appearing on Sky Sports.

The Englishman was live on air as a guest when he told the South Korean ace to ‘get on with it’.

“I’ve fallen asleep on my head covers leaning on the bag waiting for him to hit a shot now and again,” said Foster. “He’s as slow as it comes, get on with it will you.”

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Sky Sports Golf host Robert Lee asked Foster if he’d describe it as ‘purposeful’, to which he replied: “No, just slow, get on with it.”

Clearly, the extra time over his ball didn’t work for Kim, as he proceeded to make a mishit his second shot from the rough on the par-5 3rd hole at TPC Scottsdale.

“See if he played it quickly, he would have been alright,” Foster joked.

It’s no coincidence that a similar incident unfolded with Kim at last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Kim was slaughtered on social media after slashing a 210-yard approach shot into the par-5 6th green out of bounds.

“A little less waggle might have helped,” one broadcaster said before CBS commentator Frank Nobilo said: “It was not worth the wait.”

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After watching his playing partners, Kim took 42 seconds to approach his ball and a further 23 seconds to strike it.

Subsequently, his group – which included Justin Rose and Cam Davis – were put on the clock.

Slow play seems to be the only thing people are talking about these days and major champion Webb Simpson is among the latest to go public on it.

In an appearance on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, he said: “It is a huge problem. I can’t stress that enough. It is a huge problem.”

Meanwhile, the LPGA Tour is set to implement new guidelines to tackle slow play.

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.