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Tiger Woods has insisted the best way to tackle slow play is to fine players who fall foul of the rules.

Responding to news that the USGA is to hold a symposium next month to discuss the problem, Woods acknowledged that slow play now affects the game at all levels and says something most be done to eradicate it.

“people just quite aren’t educated about pace of play,” said the world No.1. “I think even in public golf courses all the way up to our tour events, the play has gotten slower over the years.

“It’s one of those things where, at our level, the tour level, it’s easy to fix:  just start fining guys. At the local level, it’s a little more difficult, more complicated.”

Tiger Woods has himself fallen foul of golf’s timekeepers on several occasions in his career, having been put on the clock on numerous occasions without penalty.

“Anytime you have threesomes, you’re going to add close to another hour in playing time.” – Tiger Woods

Despite his own failings, however, he is adamant that the issue needs to be tackled.

“Anytime you have threesomes, you’re going to add close to another hour in playing time,” he said. “Especially if it’s a two-tee start, it’s definitely going to take a lot longer.

“We found out this year at Akron we played in twosomes the first two days and we basically flew around there. I think the slowest time was right around four hours. I think that was the slowest group. Then we had that bad weather and had to go early in threesomes off two tees on Saturday and were up around the 5:20 mark.”

Tiger Woods was speaking at the media launch of the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, the tournament he hosts at the Sherwood Country Club.

That event will be the final outing for Woods in 2013 and the first in the US since he appeared to damage his back in the Presidents Cup two weeks ago. However, he was quick to allay any fears over his fitness.

“My back feels great,” said Tiger Woods. “I took a week off. I’ve trained this week. I’ve gotten a bunch of treatment. I just did a clinic out here and felt fantastic.

It’s just about doing all the mundane things, the little rehab treatments.  Sometimes it can be mundane but they work over time.”

 

Tiger Woods’ remaining 2013 schedule

Tiger Woods has three more competitive appearances in his diary between now and the end of the year. They are as follows:

Oct 28

The Match at Missions Hills, Mission Hills, China

Nov 7-10

The Turkish Airlines Open, The Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Turkey

Dec 5-8

Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, Sherwood County Club, USA

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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