Spieth’s first round in a regular European Tour event was a mixed bag and ended with a brush with a rules official, who gave the American a “monitoring penalty” for taking too long over a putt on No. 8 – his 17th hole.
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Encouraged to implement the new monitoring policy by the players themselves, the European Tour should be applauded for wading into the war against slow play, but this, I’m afraid, wasn’t a good example of how it can be implemented successfully.
He is one shot better than Henrik Stenson, two ahead of Rory McIlroy, and four ahead of world No. 1 Jordan Spieth.
He was due to be in the first group teeing off the first hole today for his second round at 3.20am British time.
“And how many would tell their father: “‘Dad, I think I can change the game of golf”, when they were still in high school? Rory and Rickie were very surprised.
Spieth used terminology that is in play on the PGA Tour, where players are warned if the group is out of position, with an accumulation of bad times leading to fines that are not announced. The world No1 was equally baffled by the incident, which under new European Tour guidelines will cost him €2,500 if repeated over the next three days.
“The players have embraced it”, said the tour’s chief executive, Keith Pelley, said before the opening tournament of the “Desert Swing” through Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar.
Fittingly for a season that could be defined by their rivalry, McIlroy begins his 2016 campaign teeing off in the same group as Spieth, plus Rickie Fowler, in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
World number three Rory McIlroy has weighed in to the debate about golf being on the programme for Rio 2016, claiming he has “never dreamed of competing in the Olympics or winning an Olympic medal” while suggesting a fifth major title would mean more than a podium finish at this year’s Games. “Sometimes the refs have to use common sense”. So then I called Michael [Greller, Spieth’s caddie] over and said “We’ve got time, let’s try and nail this thing down” because we had been on the clock for a number of holes. “I understand the rule but it doesn t make a whole lot of sense when our group had caught up”.
Mickelson opened with a 4-under 68 at La Quinta Country Club in his first start since October, playing a seven-hole stretch in 6 under. “This will help make golf more appealing and engaging to our fans, both at the course itself or watching on television”. If you can drive the ball well and keep it in play because you can see because if you hit it in the rough it makes it hard to even hit the greens. So to shoot four under with the way I felt with my driver is spectacular.
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“I’m an intern, as an amateur playing professional events”, he said. Obviously, there s still a long way to go, but I want to win every tournament I play.
