Tag Archives: Annika Sorenstam

Agree? CBS’ McManus and Barrow not concerned about slow play in golf

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Slow play has been a big issue in golf this year.

Listeners to my Saturday morning golf talk radio show on WSCR-AM 670 in Chicago know I hate slow play worse than taking four shots out of a bunker. Believe me, that’s not an unusual occurrence during one of my rounds.

The biggest slow-play culprits are the pros, some of whom have turned the game into a molasses fest.

The gridlock pace could get really bad at this week’s PGA Championship. If Pete Dye’s Kiawah course plays extremely difficult as forecast, the potential is there for marathon rounds.

During a conference call, I asked CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus and golf producer Lance Barrow if they were concerned about slow play this week, and golf in general. To my surprise, they weren’t.

McManus:

 I’m not terribly concerned about it. Having watched a lot of golf this year, I know (slow play) has been a topic of discussion. But I haven’t seen it affect too many of the broadcasts. If they play slow because of the course conditions being tough at Kiawah, it adds to the drama.

Barrow:

 I know about what happened with Kevin Na (struggling to pull the trigger at the Players Championship). But I haven’t seen tournaments where slow play has been an issue.

It’s amazing when we have to finish at 6 or 7 (ET) how close they come to hitting that time. A lot of things come into play why players play slowly or quickly. I think a lot has to do with the weather. The wind will be a factor here, but I don’t worry about slow play.

You know when you go in, Keegan Bradley and Jim Furyk (part of the final pairing last Sunday) are not quick players. But you know their mannerisms. You can go to another hole and get another player.

Now, I respect both men and have been a long-time fan of Barrow. But I disagree with them here.

It routinely takes threesomes five hours or more complete a round during a tournament. Is that exciting to watch?

I remember they used to figure 3:50 for the final pairing way back when. Not anymore. It’s in the 4:20-4:30 range for a twosome that’s in contention during the weekend.

Does that make for good television? It’s like watching a movie. A good film at two hours will feel like it is dragging at 2:45.

Let’s hear from somebody other than me.

Earlier in the year, Annika Sorenstam said,  “You watch golf on TV, and it’s very slow.  It’s not moving.”

NBC’s Dottie Pepper was more blunt in her assessment.

“I think the PGA Tour is burying their head in the sand,” Pepper told USA  TODAY Sports. “The PGA Tour has more potential to change the pace of  play because they have more eyeballs on them day in, day out than any of  the other organizations, and they are the ones that can take the lead  on this.”

Pepper then said: “Nobody wins when play is slow.”

I think that’s my new slogan for golf.

For more on how slow play is ruining golf, check out GeoffShackelford.com. He’s got an entire file on the issue.

 

 

 

 

Golf: Woods didn’t appreciate constant questions about his game; Sorenstam says slow play hurting golf on TV

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Now that Tiger Woods is back on top (with the exception of not winning a major since 2008), he likely won’t be hearing as many questions about the state of his game.

It doesn’t take much to annoy Woods. He admitted this week he didn’t enjoy questions from those pesky reporters asking why he no longer resembled Tiger Woods on the course during last two-plus years.

“I have to deal with it in every single press conference,” he said. “I have to  answer it in post-round interviews—whether it’s with you guys or in a live shot  [on TV]. You do that for a couple of years, sometimes you guys can be a little annoying.”

If anything, Woods used all the negative stories as motivation, according to his good friend Notah Begay. Appearing on the Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, Begay said:

He doesn’t forget what people write. He probably has a list under his pillow that motivates him at night.

Indeed, from what I’ve heard, few players are more possessed about what’s written about them than Woods.

As for those pesky questions about his game, they won’t go away entirely. The British Open is in a couple of weeks. He’s going to hear plenty of questions along the lines of, “Tiger, why can’t you win in majors anymore?”

******

I’m still amazed that the leaders of the PGA and LPGA Tour aren’t doing more to curb slow play. The snail’s pace is making the sport absolutely dreadful to watch on TV.

The slow-play problem came up Wednesday during a Golf Channel State of the Game show prior to the U.S. Women’s Open. Host Rich Lerner asked Annika Sorenstam why it is an important issue? Sorenstam said:

I think for a lot of reasons.  You watch golf on TV, and it’s very slow.  It’s not moving.  I know that a lot of golfers are leaving the game because it takes too long to play.  I think as a professional we need to be role models and we need to show them you can play, and I think it’s hurting the game, I really do.

NBC’s Dottie Pepper, who also appeared on the telecast, is in favor of stroke penalties being assessed for slow play. She said:

In my mind it’s the thing that hurts most.  It’s the one thing that really gets you, it’s not in your pocket, it’s on your scorecard.

All I can say is that something needs to be done about slow play. And fast.