PGA Tour pro Patrick Cantlay responds to mounting pace-of-play criticism following Matt Fitzpatrick's remarks
Fitzpatrick called it 'truly appalling'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Patrick Cantlay has once again come under fire for his pace of play, this time after the RBC Heritage. The golfer calling him out? This year’s winner, Matt Fitzpatrick.
The 2022 U.S. Open winner, who was playing with Cantlay and Jordan Spieth for the final round of the Heritage, voiced his "strong opinions" about their pace during last week’s tournament.
Matt Fitzpatrick of England plays his shot from the first tee during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Golf Course March 4, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
"If you're in a three-ball, in my opinion, you should be round in 4 hours, 4½ absolute maximum. It's a disgrace to get anywhere near that. You're talking 5 hours and 15 minutes, 5½ hours at some venues, and it's truly appalling," Fitzpatrick said, via Sky Sports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}They finished their round in approximately five hours.
"The problem is this conversation has gone on for years and years and years, and no one has ever done anything, so I feel it's almost a waste of time talking about it," Fitzpatrick said. "I have strong opinions, but no one's going to do anything about it."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Patrick Cantlay of the United States, left, and Viktor Hovland of Norway on the first green during the final round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club April 9, 2023, in Augusta, Ga. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Cantlay was asked about those comments during a press conference Wednesday ahead of the 2023 Zurich Classic and admitted that while he is "slower" than the average player, he hasn’t received any warnings from the PGA Tour.
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"I played the last two tournaments, and my group hasn't been warned at all. So we've been in position the entire time," Cantlay said. "I don't know how you would want even the groups that I've been in to play faster when our groups are in position and can't go faster because the group in front of us is right in front of us.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'm definitely slower than average, have been my whole career. I definitely take my time. And when I hit my ball on a bulkhead, I'm definitely going to take my time to make sure I make the right decision and try to get the ball back into the right spot."
Patrick Cantlay speaks to the media prior to the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links April 11, 2023, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (Tracy Wilcox/PGA Tour via Getty Images)
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Brooks Koepka, who finished second at Augusta National earlier this month, was the first to call out Cantlay when he criticized Cantlay's group, which played ahead of Koepka and eventual winner Jon Rahm.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Yeah, the group in front of us was brutally slow," Koepka lamented. "Jon went to the bathroom like seven times during the round, and we were still waiting."
Cantlay said he hasn’t been approached by any players on the Tour about his pace, but added, "I'd be perfectly happy to talk to them about it."