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After Inviting Outrage at the Masters, Patrick Cantlay Responds to Brooks Koepka by Pointing Fingers at a Different Direction

Published 04/12/2023, 6:09 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Brooks Koepka was doing great at the Masters until he was struck with a slow play delay due to Patrick Cantlay and his group. He called the group out, indirectly, for being brutally slow. And even fans supported it. Now, days after the tournament, the PGA Tour player opened up and revealed the reason for the delay. However, it is not what anyone expected.

Patrick Cantlay comes clean for the slow play at the Masters

The 87th edition of the Masters had it all – the weather caused the delay, Koepka’s almost penalty, Tiger Woods’ withdrawal, and Cantlay’s slow play. Koepka called his group out and said, “The group in front of us was brutally slow.” There was also a major backlash from the fans. They insisted that the group causing the delay must’ve been penalized and the officials should not let it go. The 2021 FedEx Cup winner was somehow a reason for Koepka not being able to grab $3.24 M. But the clarification is out now.

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According to Cantlay, Koepka’s group was not the only one who had to suffer the consequences of the slow play. In a recent press conference ahead of RBC Heritage, he said, “I mean, we finished the first hole, and the group in front of us was on the second tee when we walked up to the second tee.

He further talked about his wait, “and we waited all day on pretty much every shot. We waited in 15 fairway, we waited in 18 fairway. I imagine it was slow for everyone.”

USA Today via Reuters

Hideki Matsuyama and Russell Henley were playing ahead of amateur Sam Bennett and Collin Morikawa, who was playing behind Cantlay. Bennett and Matsuyama are both methodical golfers. Additionally, there was a huge backup on Saturday’s par-5 second tee. Due to the bad weather, Augusta National implemented a two-tee start for the final round. Those starting from the 10th tee also experienced lengthy waits on the second tee after completing 10 holes.

The PGA Tour Pro has suggestions

The infamous slow player is a former member of the Players Advisory Council. He expressed concern about slow play affecting the PGA Tour, therefore, he had some suggestions.

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He said, “I think that may have been what attributed to some of the slow play on Sunday [at the Masters], and then also, when the wind is gusting and the wind is blowing maybe inconsistently, that’s when guys will take a long time, too. I that’s just the nature of playing professional golf, where every shot matters so much.”

He was sure about it because, being on PAC, he had access to “all the numbers and the data, and rounds have taken about the same length of time for the last 10 or 20 years that they currently take.”

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What are your thoughts about Cantlay’s reply? Do you think everyone suffered a delay at the Masters? Please share your views in the comments below.

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Written by:

Saumya Yashawant

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One take at a time

A Commerce graduate who turned her passion into her profession, Saumya is a Golf writer at Essentially Sports. Having developed the love for the sport at a very young age, she watched Tiger Woods and caught inspiration from his legacy early on. Apart from Woods, she shares great admiration for her country's players like Vishwanathan Anand and Neeraj Chopra.
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Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

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