Dottie Pepper expressed her frustration on Saturday afternoon at Torrey Pines, criticizing the slow pace of play at the Farmers Insurance Open. The former LPGA star and on-course analyst voiced her concerns during the final round of the PGA Tour event in San Diego, where the final group took nearly three hours to make the turn.
“I think we’re starting to need a new word to talk about this pace of play issue, and it’s respect,” Pepper said on the CBS broadcast. “For your fellow competitors, for the fans, for broadcasts, for all of it. It’s just gotta get better.”
Pepper clarified her comments to The Associated Press, emphasizing that her criticism was not aimed solely at the final group of Harris English, Aldrich Potgieter, and Andrew Novak. She highlighted the broader issue of slow play across all levels of the game and stressed the need for improvement.
“It’s taking away from the opportunity we have for this game. It’s on fire post-COVID, and it’s our darn fault if we don’t do better.”
While slow play has long been a concern in golf, finding a solution remains elusive. The PGA Tour has rules in place to address slow play, but penalties are rarely enforced. Players like Rory McIlroy have expressed uncertainty about how to effectively tackle the issue.
“I have no idea [how to fix it],” McIlroy admitted. “This isn’t a new problem. This has been around forever, but slow play was also around when people seemingly loved golf. I don’t know what the answer is.”
Pepper’s concern extends beyond the players to the overall state of the sport. With negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf ongoing, maintaining fan engagement is crucial. Slow play risks alienating fans at a time when golf is enjoying increased popularity.
“I love the game too much,” Pepper emphasized. “Let’s take advantage of the heat we have. People are more engaged than they’ve been in a long time. We have influencers. Golf has a little bigger profile than it did before. Let’s not mess it up.”