This Week at WorldGolf.com: June 16, 2005

Sure Sabbatini was a petulant brat –
but it just might help golf

Judging by the flood of comments posted in response to National Golf Editor Tim McDonald’s recent blog about South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini, slow play/etiquette issues raise the hackles of golfers even more than Chris Baldwin’s musings on the Champions Tour or LPGA Championship.

McDonald applauded Sabbatini for making a statement during the final round of the Booz Allen Classic about the slow play of his partner, Ben Crane. Tired of waiting for Crane, Sabbatini putted his ball rather than waiting for Crane to hit his approach shot.

Pundits, pros, duffers and – gasp! – even golf bloggers are lining up to take shots at Sabbatini for this egregious breach of etiquette.

McDonald’s response? “Hogwash."

“How many times have you been so frustrated on the course with slow play you wanted to hurl a 9-iron at the fat guy ahead of you who spends 10 minutes trying to stuff his big fat clubs in his fat bag?" he wrote in his blog. “Slow play is the biggest bugaboo in golf today. Anything that speeds it up -- or at least brings it to attention -- is OK in my book."

A number of readers took issue with McDonald. “Would it have killed him to handle the matter off the course?" asks Robert Y. A Jacque called for Sabbatini to be banned from this week’s U.S. Open. A Mark Johannsen writes, “There are rules in golf. He broke a couple of them. Slow or not...deal with it. Crane should be given an award for playing 18 holes with Sabbatini." And a Nick writes, “What Sabbatini did goes completely against the integrity of this great game. … Sabbatini is a disgrace and should face a hefty fine for his actions."

For my money, though, the most lucid comment comes from a Dormy.

“Are you guys serious?" Dormy writes.

“Slow play is the number one problem with golf today - too many people quit or don't take up the sport due to time constraints. …

“Slow tour players are imitated by amateurs with little or no ability which jams up golf courses everywhere. Almost every good player I know enjoys playing in less than 4 hours. …

“I'd like to see the Tour take steps to encourage faster play, such a move would be a great boon to the sport of golf."

Amen, Dormy. Sabbatini’s brazen actions aside, slow play keeps a lot of people from playing more (or any) golf. That hurts the game. Each time a golfer, sick of spending an epoch to get in 18 at his or her local track, throws in the towel and quits this great game, it hurts the manufacturers, the course owners, the instructors, the beer cart girls, and on and on.

I can’t agree with McDonald completely. Sabbatini did act like a jerk and was right to apologize. But at least it got folks talking about this, taking it seriously.

WorldGolf.com welcomes your comments.

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