The anti-slow play movement remains in full effect on the PGA Tour. Whether or not anything actually gets done about it remains to be seen.
Last week, it was CBS on-course analyst Dottie Pepper who called out the final group at Torrey Pines for its snail-like pace. On Sunday, during Golf Channel’s early-round coverage of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a number of folks on the broadcast took issue with Tom Kim’s pace at the par-5 sixth.
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Kim’s drive found the left side of the fairway, travelling 301 yards and setting up a prime look at reaching the par 5 in two. After one of his playing partners, Justin Rose, had played his approach, the camera cut to Kim, who had seemingly just begun his pre-shot routine long after Rose’s ball came to rest.
Here is the full clip of the routine and the subsequent shot in its entirety:
42 seconds to approach it. 23 seconds at address. 1:05 from Tom Kim to pump it OB.
Golf has a serious problem. pic.twitter.com/dvrNUkOgWU
— Tim Preston (@TimmyTebrows) February 2, 2025
In another clip, you can hear analysts Jim Gallagher Jr. and Frank Nobilo both subtly rip Kim for taking that long to hit that shot. “One less waggle would have helped,” says Gallagher Jr. “It wasn’t worth the wait,” Nobilo chimes in. “For us, or him,” added Gallager Jr. Spicy!
Wow the broadcast roasts Tom Kim for his slow play. 😂
“That was NOT worth the wait!”
Love that announcers are getting comfortable with addressing the slow play issue. Dottie last week, now this. pic.twitter.com/zLVcQzu0F1
— Rick Golfs (@Top100Rick) February 2, 2025
Whoever told these TV people to start letting it rip for real deserves a raise. Keep calling these guys out! It would be one thing if Kim actually found the green and set up and eagle putt (it still would be ridiculous). But to take four practice swings and 23 extra seconds standing at address only to flare it in the Pacific Ocean is just a horrific look.
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Of course, Golf Twitter made Nobilo and Gallagher Jr.’s comments seem tame in comparison:
this makes me want to rip my hair out
— smalls (@StephieSmallls) February 2, 2025
How about they put a shot clock up and when it runs out the crowd can cheer or boo or whatever?
— Mark Lamprecht📈🏌🏼♂️ (@MarkALamprecht) February 3, 2025
I could do this in 15 seconds or less with mustard from the hot dog at the turn still on my hand.
Me and Tom Kim are not the same.
— SleeperGolf (@SleeperGolf) February 2, 2025
Watching Tom Kim stand over this ball waggling for 30 seconds, then wipe it into the ocean, then get shit on for his pace of play by the broadcast crew was life-affirming. “Not worth the wait.” 🤡 pic.twitter.com/l4QOucNrn2
— Tron Carter (@TronCarterNLU) February 2, 2025
“Boy, he took a lot of time to do THAT”
— Amol Yajnik (@amolyajnik) February 2, 2025
Later in the round, Kim, Rose and the third member of their group, Cam Davis, were put on the clock for slow play:
🚨🐢⏱️ #UPDATE — Tom Kim, Justin Rose & Cam Davis are on the clock at Pebble Beach for slow play, @ColtKnost reported. pic.twitter.com/bkCh6C1hE0
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) February 2, 2025
That oughta fix the issue.