slow play @ Ballantine PGA event ...but no penalty

[North Mimms]

The group that included end of day 2 leader Alex Noren took nearly 5 and half hours to play their round.
No penalties were applied to anyone

Paul Lawrie is fuming
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/go...tines-Championship-Alex-Noren-edges-lead.html

 

[Imurg]

He's also fuming because he's playing like a pillock..
Yes 5 1/2 hours is too much but there's a great deal misunderstood a out when fines and penalties can be dished out.
If a group is deemed to be playing slowly they will be warned.
If they continue to play slowly they are put on the clock.
If they still play too slowly - like the Chinese kid at the Masters - they start getting penalties.
All a Pro has to do is speed up for a while to get off the warni g or off the clock and the process starts again.
The reason The Kid got a penalty is because he didn't speed up.
If anything it's the slow play rules that are at fault. It should be much easier to penalise than it currently is. But until they change the rules nothing is going to change in the amount of time taken.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

The slow play penalties aren't done on how long it takes them to play a round, they're done on how long it takes to play a shot. They have 40 or 60 seconds, can't remember which to play the shot, if they take longer, they are warned and put on the clock. When they are warned, they speed up and are taken off the clock. The chinese kid didn't know how to play the system. I don't like it, but that's the way it is

 

[North Mimms]

I'm very familiar with "the clock" system, having marshalled at a pro event.
I just wonder how closely each group is being watched. They can't have a timer on every 3 ball

 

[duncan mackie]

I'm very familiar with "the clock" system, having marshalled at a pro event.
I just wonder how closely each group is being watched. They can't have a timer on every 3 ball

they have; every group will have par times for every tee, but these are obviously constantly adjusted as other factors come into play.

the Tournament Director will set the initial timings based on the practical issues observed during the practice rounds (for events with practice rounds) or on advice otherwise.

there are a number of legitimate reasons a group, or even the entire field, can end up behind the initial timings, and POP (pace of play) takes these into account.

if a group loses it's positon, then fails to make any progress to make it up, it will be put on the clock - and the relevant timing is from the point the player can play to the time he plays; about 5 additional secs for the first to tee off or putt - but other than that they are generally at the lower end of Hawkeye's suggestion (or less )

( I realise you know most of this - the response it to your post because of the first point)

 

[Imurg]

Don't they have an Official walking with every group...?

 

[TXL]

Don't they have an Official walking with every group...?

No. As far as I am aware, the only event that has one per group is The Open Championship.
Generally, there are only 4 or 5 referees at an event. They try to be placed where potential problems will occur.

If there was a ref with every group, there would not be a slow play issue. The problem is that the players do know if they are a slow player and as such will speed up their routine as soon as a referee appears on the horizon.