The Open: Brooks Koepka frustrated by JB Holmes' pace of play at Portrush
By Keith Jackson at Royal Portrush
Last Updated: 22/07/19 5:59am
Brooks Koepka hit out at playing partner JB Holmes for his slow pace of play during the final round of The Open at Royal Portrush.
Koepka completed an outstanding major season with one win, two runner-up finishes and a tie for fourth this week, his best result in the Open by a distance which he believes could have been better had it not been for a frustrating performance on the greens.
The world No 1 started Sunday with seven shots to make up on Shane Lowry, but he effectively took himself out of contention when he bogeyed the opening four holes before playing the rest in one under to salvage a 74 and finish level with Lee Westwood on six under.
But he was quizzed by reporters after tapping his wrist in a gesture towards the official following their pairing as he and Holmes left the 12th green, hinting that he felt his fellow American was playing too slowly, although Holmes did require 87 shots to get round on a horrific day for the 36-hole joint-leader.
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"He had a rough day, but JB is a slow player," said the four-time major winner. "There were some times where I thought it was slow, but there are a lot of slow guys out here. It's not the first time I've done it, especially when you've got a walking official with you.
"We were on pace for 13 holes. But I mean, if I'm in a group, we're going to be on pace no matter what. I'm usually ready to go, as soon as the guy's ball is coming down.
"I just always play, I'm ready to go most of the time. That's what I don't understand when it's your turn to hit, your glove is not on, then you start thinking about it, that's where the problem lies. It's not that he takes that long, he just doesn't do anything until his turn. That's the frustrating part, but he's not the only one that does it out here."
Holmes drew widespread criticism for his painstaking pace of play during his victory at the Genesis Open in February, and Koepka believes the PGA Tour should learn lessons from their European Tour counterparts when it comes to speeding up the players.
He added: "The European Tour does an unbelievable job with the pace of play, posting it in the locker rooms. The PGA doesn't do that."
