Golf: Steve Marino,The Ambassador Of Slow Play

I think if you were to look up the term “slow play in golf” in your dictionary, or The Roget’s Thesaurus, you would find a picture of Steve Marino. Once again, Steve and his group are on the clock at the Honda Classic, and being timed for playing too slow. I’m not sure what the term “being on the clock means“, but nothing ever seems to happen when someone is “on the clock”.

I read somewhere, the group is supposed to receive a penalty stroke or something, but it’s appears to be another one of those rules that the PGA has on the books, but no one ever enforces. They just put you “on the clock”. And why is your playing partner, who is stuck with you for the day, getting penalized? Never made much sense to me, but if you understand the rule, please enlighten me.

Last year during the Players Championship, Kevin Na was being criticized for taking too much time during his pre-shot routine, and the PGA spoke to him. He has since modified his routine, that appeared to be more like Derek Jeter preparing for a Justin Verlander fastball than preparation for hitting a little ball laying still on the ground. He, and playing partner, eventual tournament winner, Matt Kuchar were again “put on the clock”, and there were never penalties handed out.

I don’t know about you, but I have been behind that foursome at the local muni where the foursome in front is three holes behind, and in Tiger Woods fashion, looking at their three foot putts from 12 angles before putting out. It’s too bad we can’t get the ranger to put that group “on the clock”

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