Matt Fitzpatrick SLAMS slow play after RBC Heritage: "It's a disgrace"

RBC Heritage winner Matt Fitzpatrick has slammed slow play on the PGA Tour calling it "a disgrace" after playing with Patrick Cantlay last weekend.

Lara Kuipers

19 Apr 2023

Recent RBC Heritage winner Matt Fitzpatrick has joined in on criticizing slow pace of play on the PGA Tour, calling the current situation "a disgrace."

Fitzpatrick, 28, played this past Sunday's final round in a group with Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay. The latter has been under fire since the final round of The Masters for playing slowly.

LIV Golf's Brooks Koepka, who was playing Augusta National in the group behind Cantlay with eventual winner Jon Rahm, took a shot at the 31-year-old following the round saying he and his playing partner Viktor Hovland were "brutally slow."

Since then, Cantlay has been under a microscope by fans and seemingly players alike as he played the following week in South Carolina for the RBC Heritage.

Cantlay played in the final group and went onto finish third at the tournament.

During that final round, Sky Sports Golf's Andrew Coltart joined the group of critics, slamming Cantlay for his slow pace of play while on air.

"It's frustrating to play with somebody that crawls along like that," Coltart said.

On Sunday, on-course reporter Dottie Pepper reportedly said that Spieth and Fitzpatrick were "pretty upset" with Cantlay's pace, particularly on his third shot on the par-3 14th after his ball was barely hanging on to the edge of the island green.

Your ball ends up here ...
Take a drop or play it as it lies? pic.twitter.com/HvT4PwlkO8
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 16, 2023

Fitzpatrick, who's made the trip to Louisiana for the Zurich Classic where he'll be playing alongside his brother, Alex, spoke to Sky Sports Golf ahead of the tournament and made his thoughts clear on the PGA Tour's pace problem.

"If you're in a three-ball, in my opinion you should be round in four hours, four-and-a-half absolute maximum - it's a disgrace to get anywhere near that. You're talking five hours and 15 minutes, five-and-a-half hours at some venues and its truly appalling.

"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. I have strong opinions, but no one's going to do anything about it."

He added:

"I think it's a real issue, way more needs to be done. The thing is I really like referees over here, they are great people, but I did not see a single ref all day. There were a few shots we were waiting and I don't understand where they are all hiding. It does become frustrating when you are waiting so long."

In addition to Fitzpatrick, Cantlay also made the trip to Louisiana this week. He's playing with good friend Xander Schauffele, whom he won the tournament with last year.

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