Jordan Spieth Flagged for Slow Play, Says It Doesn’t Make Sense

Spieth has been grouped with McIlroy and Rickie Fowler for the first two rounds in Abu Dhabi and added: “We very rarely get this pairing and very rarely will going forward, so we’ll take advantage and try and really feed off each other”.

McIlroy was two strokes behind early leader Bryson DeChambeau (64), the U.S. Amateur champion, after rolling in eight birdies in his first appearance after two months off, during which he underwent laser eye surgery.

Spieth received a warning after taking more time than allowed to hit a putt on the eighth green (the group’s 17th of the day) and learned of the infraction on the ninth tee. “I understand the rule but it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when our group had caught up”.

“Rory and Rickie [FOWLER]were very surprised”. A second monitoring penalty would bring an announced fine of just less than $3,000 for Spieth.

It was the first round since the European Tour modified its Pace of Play policy – and officials made an example of Spieth, the biggest name in golf. I feel the refs have to use a bit of common sense’.

“There’ve been times where it’s taken me at least four or five days to find the middle of the clubface [after a break] and there’ve been times where it’s taken me a couple of hours, ” McIlroy said. “But at the same time, if we’re playing in a hot country and it’s more comfortable for guys to wear shorts, then there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to”. But he was left bemused after becoming the first high-profile player to receive a “monitoring penalty” for slow play.

“If I had not won a major, I would probably still say a major (over a medal)”.

He reserved the praise for his playing partner Rory McIlroy, who shot 66 and delivered what Spieth rightly considered a ball-striking clinic. “It was the Rory I have seen win majors”, Spieth said.

To accommodate the Olympic tournament, the year’s final major, the PGA Championship, has also had to be moved to late July from its traditional date in the second week of August, but Spieth sounded keen. I was hitting it a little off with the driver and I just came out and got my B game into play. “This will help make golf more appealing and engaging to our fans, both at the course itself or watching on television”.

“The players have embraced it”, said the tour’s chief executive, Keith Pelley, said before the opening tournament of the “Desert Swing” through Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar.

He said: ‘Pace of play on this tour is measured by whether the group keeps to the starting interval between groups, rather than if they were on the same hole, as it is in America.

He could hardly credit being within two of McIlroy, who regularly out-drove him by 40 yards and more.

The American’s card was only spoiled by one bogey on the third, which was quickly rectified by two consecutive birdies, along with an eagle on the eighth, which set him on his way to his current one shot lead.