McIlroy keen to have slow play dealt with

RORY McIlroy has called for slow players to receive a solitary warning before receiving shot penalties.

The issue of slow play came to the fore again during the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Portrush, where world No 1 Brooks Koepka tapped his wrist in the direction of officials to signal his displeasure with the time taken by playing partner JB Holmes.

Holmes was not penalised and also famously escaped punishment despite taking four minutes to hit a single shot on the final hole of the Farmers Insurance Open last year.

“The guys that are slow are the guys that get too many chances before they are penalised,” McIlroy told a pre-tournament press conference ahead of The Northern Trust tournament in New Jersey.

“It should be a warning and then a penalty shot. It should be you’re put on the clock and that is your warning and then, if you get a bad time while on the clock, it’s a shot. That will stamp it out right away.

“We are not children that need to be told five or six times what to do.

“OK, you’re on the clock. OK, I know if I play slowly here, I’m going to get penalised and I think that’s the way forward.”

Under current European Tour regulations, “a stroke(s) penalty may only be imposed if the same player has two or more ‘Bad Times’ while having been officially timed during the same round”.

SCOTLAND’S women were pipped 5-4 by Ireland in the Home Internationals at Downfield, Dundee. England recorded an 8.50.5 victory against Wales.

It was also a disappointing start for the Scottish girls’ team at the same venue. They lost 6-3 to Ireland. England beat Wales 6-3.

Blairgowrie’s Katy Alexander and Aboyne’s Carmen Griffiths lost their foursomes against Aine Donegan and Anna Foster 5and 4.

Rachel Foster (Prestwick St Nicholas) beat Kilkenny’s Jan Browne 2 and 1 in the singles.

Rachel Foster won her singles game for Scotland at Downfield.

Rory McIlroy: “It should be a warning and then a penalty shot.”