Gradual play has been a difficulty for years in skilled golf. LIV Golf lastly took motion on the gradual play as they penalized one among their gamers for not protecting tempo at Valderrama, per a public assertion.
Richard Bland acquired a one-stroke penalty for not bettering his tempo of play after being requested to hurry it up a number of occasions.
He performed alongside Sergio Garcia and Dean Burmester. They had been initially warned about their tempo of play on their fourth gap, the eighth gap on the course. Officers instructed them they had been out of place.
The group was warned once more on the thirteenth gap, and an official started to time them.
“In accordance with LIV Golf League Tempo of Play Coverage, ‘A participant has 40 seconds to play every stroke, with an extra 10 seconds if they’re the primary to play any stroke within the group,” the assertion stated.
Bland didn’t enhance his tempo even with an official timing him.
“On the tee of the fifteenth gap, Richard Bland, who was the primary to play, acquired a time of 84 seconds for his first stroke,” the assertion stated. “This exceeded the allotted time per the coverage. Bland was instantly notified by an official and assessed a one-stroke penalty.”
With that penalty, Bland acquired a rating of 5 as a substitute of a 4 on the fifteenth. That penalty price him taking pictures even par, as he carded a 1-over 73 Saturday.
Gradual play has been a difficulty, however LIV Golf truly adopted the coverage and assessed the stroke penalty. The PGA Tour doesn’t persistently implement that stroke penalty, which causes extra dialogue. LIV is setting the tone, and hopefully, this won’t simply enhance Bland’s tempo of play however present others it would occur.
And no, the irony of a gentleman named Bland being assessed a penalty for gradual play isn’t misplaced on us.
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