PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland _ What a miserable Sunday at the British Open for American J.B. Holmes. He was in third place after three rounds, having shot a 66, 68 and 69. But he slogged his way to an 87 with one birdie, six bogeys, four double bogeys and a triple bogey in the final round.
He dropped 64 spots down the leaderboard to finish tied for 67th _ losing about $700,000 in the process.
Holmes is famously deliberate, often frustrating fans and fellow players with his glacial pre-shot routine. But Brooks Koepka, paired with him Sunday, cut him some slack.
"He had a rough day," Koepka said. "But J.B. is a slow player. I know it's difficult with the wind, but I didn't think he was that bad today. I thought he was all right."
That said, Koepka did voice what a lot of people surely feel.
"I'm ready to go most of the time," he said. "That's what I don't understand when it's your turn to hit, your glove is not on, then you start thinking about it, that's where the problem lies. It's not that he takes that long. He doesn't do anything until his turn. That's the frustrating part. But he's not the only one that does it out here."
