PGA Championship: John Catlin handed one-shot penalty for slow play in first round

PGA Championship officials hand out first slow-play penalty for eight years as John Catlin is docked a shot for two bad times in the opening round at Kiawah Island.

By Keith Jackson

Image: John Catlin was hit with a one-shot penalty

John Catlin was hit with a slow-play penalty in the first round of the PGA Championship, the first player to be penalised in a major since 2013.

Catlin was docked a shot after two infringements, the first on the long 16th and another at the third, turning a 74 into a three-over 75 at Kiawah Island.

The American, winner of three European Tour titles since September, received a bad time at the 16th when he was adjudged to have taken 74 seconds to hit his second shot.

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Catlin was then timed at 63 seconds for his approach to the third, prompting officials to inform him of his one-shot penalty under the PGA of America's pace of play regulations.

A statement from the tournament organisers read: "John Catlin received a one-stroke penalty for a breach of the PGA Championship Pace of Play Policy during the first round of the 103rd PGA Championship at The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island.

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"The PGA of America has adopted a Pace of Play Policy under Rule 5.6b(3) of the Rules of Golf to encourage and enforce prompt play."

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Despite many groups taking over five-and-a-half hours to complete their first rounds, Catlin was the only player to be punished on day one.

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His penalty is the first to be handed out for slow play since the 2013 Masters, when 14-year-old amateur Guan Tianlang fell foul of the regulations for pace of play at Augusta National.

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