Butch Harmon says he is aware of how’d he curb sluggish play.
At the very least for many gamers.
“The outdated story years in the past,” he mentioned, “Ben Hogan was very sluggish and he’s taking part in within the U.S. Open. I feel it possibly even have been the primary or second spherical. And Joe Dye was the top of the USGA they usually went out and informed Mr. Hogan, if you happen to don’t velocity up, we’re going to need to penalize you two photographs.
“He says, give me two photographs now, so I acquired extra holes, I understand how many extra birdies I acquired to make as a result of I’m not rushing up.”
Nonetheless, Harmon believes in his thought. The GOLF Prime 100 Trainer corridor of famer and Tiger Woods’ former coach was a visitor on the latest episode of the “Son of a Butch” podcast, hosted by his son, Claude Harmon III, and the youthful Harmon had introduced up Patrick Cantlay’s play ultimately month’s Tour Championship.
He mentioned he was an excellent participant, then requested a query.
“However what the hell is happening?” the youthful Harmon mentioned on the podcast. “I imply, I watched him down on the eighth gap. He made seven seems on the gap. I blame the tour. I 100% blame the tour on all of the excursions as a result of in the event that they needed to stomp out sluggish play, they may.”
Right here, Butch Harmon pitched his repair.
“Two photographs,” he mentioned.
Notably, tempo of play has been a relentless subject in golf, although this 12 months, it has obtained renewed consideration. In January, the Tour introduced various strikes, together with a thought to ‘identify and disgrace’ gamers.
On the podcast, Butch Harmon mentioned what wouldn’t work is fines.
“These guys don’t care about cash,” he mentioned. “They’re all multi-millionaires. You’re not going to get them to hurry up. You set two photographs on them, it may value them making a reduce, it may value them successful a event, it may value them retaining their card.”
Added Claude Harmon III: “Might value them getting in a Ryder Cup.”
Continued Butch Harmon: “… However if you happen to put two photographs on these guys, to start with, they’d go loopy. ‘I can’t imagine you’re going to penalize me two photographs.’ Effectively, then hurry the hell up, rattling it.”
The back-and-forth between father and son ended with a point out of Tommy Fleetwood, who’s been working with Butch Harmon — and who was paired with Cantlay in the course of the ultimate spherical of the Tour Championship earlier than occurring to win.
“I mentioned to Tommy, does it hassle you the way sluggish — I mentioned, I do know you had been on the clock on the eleventh gap; I noticed them come to get you,” he mentioned. “However you guys struggled on that eighth gap without end as a result of they each had rulings and that’s how they acquired behind. He goes, you understand, the man’s sluggish, however I wouldn’t let him hassle me.
