A 50-year-old Florida golfer faces felony charges after allegedly ramming a teen’s cart over slow play. The incident took place shortly before 9 am on Saturday at Lansbrook Golf Club, Palm Harbor (Pinellas County), Florida, per WFLA. It has raised fresh questions about how quickly frustration over the pace of play can spiral into something far beyond a typical golf-course argument.

According to WFLA, the suspect, Rhett Drummond, felt that the victim, a 15-year-old boy, unnamed, who was playing ahead of him, was taking way too long to complete his round (per the probable cause affidavit). Both parties were “being disrespectful to each other”, but things eventually cooled down, and they went their separate ways.

But the matter was far from over. Shortly after, Drummond approached the alleged victim’s golf cart in his golf cart, and the argument revived (although the cause is unknown). On August 22, the suspect was arrested by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and charged with child abuse. In Drummond’s own admission, he pulled the boy out of the vehicle by his shirt collar, threw him to the ground, and hit him multiple times in the head and face.

The responding officer found the teenager with a bloody nose and bruises on his neck. The teenager and his mother wanted to file criminal charges against Drummond, according to Fox 13.

Drummond was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on a third-degree felony child abuse charge and released later on a $500 bond.

The statute cited in the report is § 827.03(2)(c), which covers child abuse that does not cause great bodily harm. Florida’s child-abuse statute applies to any adult who intentionally inflicts physical injury on a person under 18. This is true regardless of whether there is a familial or custodial relationship. The potential penalty is up to 5 years in state prison and a $5,000 fine.

This isn’t an isolated event, as disputes over slow play have become quite common nowadays. In July 2025, police charged Jason Hughes with aggravated battery causing bodily harm for the same reason. Hughes said he was upset with the pace of play of the man ahead of him. The two exchanged words about the situation.

But the boiling point came when Hughes saw the man talking to his friend on the green. A judge later barred the suspect from visiting public golf courses as a bail condition. This time, the charges are far worse for Rhett Drummond, though.

These slow-play instances are common on the professional circuit, too.

Slow pace of play upsets pro golfers, too

There are many instances in which fellow professionals and fans have expressed frustration with the slow pace of play. For instance, Brooks Koepka played with J.B. Holmes in a round at The Open 2019 at Royal Portrush. Fans and golfers know Holmes for his deliberate pre-shot routine. He struggled during the round and played very slowly under pressure, and Koepka was visibly upset with that.

While walking off the 12th green, he stared at an official and pointed to his watch. He later admitted that he felt it was slow on multiple occasions. However, he also noted that it was not as bad as Holmes’ usual pace.

Another incident occurred at the 2019 Northern Trust, where Bryson DeChambeau faced slow-play allegations from multiple golfers. The American professional was taking too long with his ultra‑analytical approach. After the tournament ended, many professionals from the field called him out on social media.

DeChambeau then responded with a defensive video. The incident prompted the PGA Tour to announce it would review its pace‑of‑play policy and consider penalizing players even when their group was “in position.”

There’s another recent example from the 2026 Valspar Championship. The event had Matt Fitzpatrick paired with Adrien Dumont de Chassart. During the round, Chassart was playing very slowly. To keep the group moving, Fitzpatrick played out of turn and, at one point, even asked an official for help.

After the round, Fitzpatrick called it “very frustrating” and said, “I felt like there was a lot of stop‑start,” without naming Chassart directly.

Slow play can clearly test the patience of even the most experienced golfer. But the incident involving Drummond highlights how a frustrating pace-of-play dispute can cross a far more serious line when tempers escalate into physical violence.