Golfer J.B. Holmes won the Genesis Open this weekend, which was great for J.B. Holmes and unbearable for everyone else who had to watch it.
It took Holmes and his final-round group of Adam Scott and Justin Thomas 5.5 hours to play 18 holes with that blame being placed firmly on Holmes.
Now, pace of play has been a regular issue in golf, but few play slower than Holmes. CBS analyst Peter Kostis finally called Holmes out during Sunday’s final round as the golfer waited to start his comically slow routine until after both Thomas and Scott completed their shots. By choosing to delay the routine, Holmes added over a minute of wait time for viewers. And this was just the fourth hole.
After missing that birdie putt, Holmes really started plumb-bobbing for the ensuing one-foot putt. It was a ridiculous at that point.
Holmes defended his slow pace by pointing out the strong winds and the money on the line, but that ignores the fact that every other player had to deal with those same conditions and stakes while still managing to play at a faster pace. He’s been using that excuse for years.
Via golfweek.com:
“You play in 25-mile-an-hour gusty winds and see how fast you play when you’re playing for the kind of money and the points and everything that we’re playing for.”
Slow play isn’t exclusive to Holmes. It’s a problem that needs to be addressed. But Holmes deserved all the scrutiny he got on Sunday, and there was plenty.
