The enduring issue of slow play at the illustrious Augusta National has been the center of discussion over recent years and is anticipated to reclaim the spotlight as the 2025 Masters Tournament approaches. Ordinarily, the preliminary days of the tournament, when the entire field is in action, are the hotbeds for congestion on the course. The sequence of the par-five second and the drivable par-four third hole, in particular, are notorious for triggering delays right from the onset.
Prominent golf figure, Padraig Harrington, has voiced his concern over this predicament, proposing expanded gaps between groups to avoid the creation of a bottleneck during the concluding rounds.
The issue of slow play has ruffled feathers among the golfing fraternity in the past. In 2024, Tyrrell Hatton expressed his disdain for the sluggish pace of the game. Similarly, Brooks Koepka was vocally critical of his forerunners and the ultimate champion, Jon Rahm, in the preceding year.
Renowned golf professional, Rory McIlroy, had a particularly tough day during the second round of the 2024 Masters, which he described as ‘horrific’. In his post-round press conference, McIlroy shared, “Scoring was very difficult. It was one of those days where most of the field couldn’t get anything going. It was a struggle to hang in there.”
He further added, “My golf swing felt horrific for the last six or seven holes. Especially on the 11th hole, which felt like it took an hour to play. The intermittent play made it challenging to establish a rhythm under the prevailing conditions, exacerbated by the slow pace of play.”
Interestingly, McIlroy’s recent commentary on slow play seems to downplay the issues he encountered during the 2024 Masters. He stated, “Usually, if you’re in one of those final groups at Augusta on Friday afternoon, it’s probably the slowest round of the year. No one complains about the pace of play at Augusta.”
As slow play takes center stage in 2025, golf enthusiasts and stakeholders alike hope to see players in the forthcoming Masters Tournament making concerted efforts to expedite the game whenever feasible.
In an attempt to address the issue, the PGA Tour is contemplating the deployment of rangefinders to hasten the pace of play. In addition, the strategy of publicly calling out the slowest players on the Tour is under consideration.
Those who are objectively deemed to be excessively slow are encouraged to quicken their pace, under the watchful eyes of both their contemporaries and the Tour’s officials. This proactive approach is designed to ensure that the spirit and pace of the game are upheld, promising a more engaging experience for both players and spectators.
