Rory McIlroy optimistic of improved short game following laser eye surgery

Pelley asked the Tour’s referee staff – led by John Paramor – to come up with new ways to tackle the play and this week a “monotoring” system has been introduced which is running concurrently to the usual method of identifying and punishing culprits.

The world number three from Northern Ireland posted a first round six-under par 66 to lie two shots behind American amateur Bryson DeChambeau (64) and one behind world number five Henrik Stenson (65). I don’t think it takes anything away from the tradition of the game or etiquette how guys look on the course.

‘I understand the rule that if you are taking longer than the allotted time, you get a bad time. “But it doesn’t make sense when we had caught up and were going off the clock”.

This may seem excessive and the truth is, it’s completely reasonable to think the European Tour is trying to make an example out of Spieth.

Less inspiring and no fun whatsoever was the ridiculous manner in which Spieth fell foul of the convoluted new rules the European Tour have instigated in an effort to speed up play. He was told on the ninth tee that he was receiving a “monitoring” penalty.

Jordan Spieth says if he hadn’t won a major he’d place that above Olympic glory but at this point “a gold medal would be very, very special”. Leave your thoughts in the “Comments” section below.

Under a revised pace of play policy approved only on Tuesday by the Tour’s tournament committee, any player exceeding the time allowed for a shot – 50 seconds if playing first, 40 seconds thereafter – while being monitored, will be given a monitoring penalty. “I need to play the par 5s better”, said the American who received a “monitoring penalty” on the eighth hole for slow play.

McIlroy endured a frustrating 2015, failing to add to his tally of major victories and suffering an ankle injury playing football as Spieth claimed his first two major titles and took over at the top of the rankings. “Sometimes I feel the refs have to use a bit of common sense, “. It’s not like Jordan is a slow player.

“We will now be with the players, rather than informing them that they are out of position and leaving them to do it [catch up] by themselves”.

“Rory has got us off to a great start and we will be announcing the participation of other major golfing stars and celebrities within the coming two weeks”.

“I drove the ball really well”, said McIlroy.

“I think it needs to be more about where you are in relation to the games in front and behind”.

“I scrambled pretty well for the majority of the round and then a couple wedge shots just really (stopped) me from making it a great round”. “I’ve not heard one person, one tour player complain about it”. “It’s the way I’ve been feeling out on the golf course”, said McIlroy, who hit 10 of 14 fairways and 16 greens in regulation on Thursday.