"It's been a long time since I've been on the clock, and it's been a long time since I've been in such a good TV group, so managing that sort of stress is something different." Padraig Harrington's group avoided a slow-play penalty at Kiawah Island
Friday 21 May 2021 21:02, UK
Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson avoided being penalised in their second rounds after being put on the clock at the PGA Championship.
Harrington, Mickelson and Jason Day were under scrutiny from tournament officials over the latter stages, with players behind them starting to be held up following an unsuccessful search for Day's errant drive at the third - their 12th hole.
Mickelson defied the distraction to make five birdies coming in and take the outright lead on five under, while Harrington will play the weekend in a major championship for the first time in almost five years after a 73 left him five behind the left-hander.
John Catlin became the first player to be given a shot penalty for slow play in a major since the 2013 Masters on day one, and it was arguably a surprise that he was the only man to be punished with many groups struggling to get round in under five-and-a-half hours.
But Harrington's group managed to come through unscathed, and the European Ryder Cup captain admitted they spent an uncomfortable amount of time on the clock.
"We started on the clock on the third because we had a lost ball," he explained. "So we probably played on the clock for about four holes.
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"Nobody is comfortable on the clock, you're always wondering where you stand. It's pretty easy to be on the clock even if you're in position, and it's very difficult if you're out of position.
"If you really get into an awkward situation, it can be difficult, but if you play good golf on the clock, you hit fairways, you hit it on the green, the 40 seconds is bundles of time to hit a golf shot, assuming that you're not struggling having to walk off a 60-foot putt or something like that."
Harrington admitted being in one of the featured groups may have had an impact on how long it took to play certain shots, as he has become unfamiliar with being under the spotlight of the television cameras in high-profile company.
"For me personally, it's been a long time since I've been on the clock, and it's been a long time since I've been in such a good TV group, so managing that sort of stress is something different," he added.
"If you want to be a good player, unfortunately you're going to end up a lot of times in those sort of groupings where it gets a little tighter and more time is taken, and it's very easy to stay off the clock if you're playing terrible golf - put it like that.
"It's tough when you're up there and you're in that situation. I would have said the three of us today, even yesterday, we always struggled to keep up. Until there was a delay yesterday, I think we were struggling, as well.
"It was fair enough that we were on the clock. Between the three of us, I'd say the three of us were average at best. We're working hard at what we're doing out there, and as I said, it does depend a lot on how well you play and the quality of your golf.
"As I said, if you're hitting fairways and greens, it's pretty easy to play within the 40 seconds."
Ian Poulter, regarded as one of the quickest players on Tour, felt that a long wait on the 17th tee contributed to his poor tee shot to one of the toughest par-threes on the major circuit.
Poulter was in touch with the lead after playing the first 11 holes in six under, but he faltered on the back-nine and dropped four shots in five holes, the last of which came as a result of a wild pull long and left at the final par-three.
"It's intense, it's a long round of golf and there is a lot of waiting around" said the Englishman, who signed for a 70 to close on level par for the tournament.
"Standing on the 17th tee, it was not the best wait, to be honest. It's not an easy hole as it is, but when you chuck a 15-minute wait in there and you're staring at a three-iron or some form of a hybrid to that green, it's very difficult."
